Deranged Obsession
by KaliAnn
Summary: Part 3 of trilogy. An unforeseen danger arises for the riders and the people of Berk. A dangerous obsession pushes the bonds of friendship and loyalty between best friends Hiccup and Nissa. With a deranged stalker determined to make them both his the two are at his mercy. Can they stay alive long enough to escape their captors deadly desires for both of them? Or is this the end?
1. Nissanity

_Welcome to the third and final chapter of my HTTYD trilogy! I hope that you enjoy this installment as much as the other two. Please support my original work, "_Battle for the Stars"_ by purchasing it or at least asking your local library to carry it. Thank you._

_ Vikings are stubborn people that's a given. When we set our minds on something nothing will stop us from accomplishing our goal, which is why we were at war for three hundred years. Still there are dangers when a Viking goes from stubborn into obsessed. _

It was warm day, not that the riders and their dragons felt it so high in the air. They were flying through a dense, wet, and cold cloud bank. Since the riders return a week ago they had been kept very busy with their new responsibilities. They had to help with the preservation of the food, construction of new buildings and keeping the young children in line. Their dragons also had new responsibilities with helping to merge the new dragons into the social hierarchy of the pack. They had also been kept busy using the supplies they had procured on the quest to make the dragons' homes more comfortable. Today was their first chance to work together on some new training.

At the moment Hiccup and Toothless were soaring next to the Twins and their dragon. The two siblings had a gaumless look on their faces not quite sure what the point of this exercise was. As they shivered in attempt to warm up they decided to voice their discomfort loudly.

"Its freezing up here Hiccup! I think my hair has gone brittle. One good tug and it will fall off in pieces," Ruffnut whined unhappily. She tried sinking down in the saddle closer to Barf scaly skin, but the spines on the neck pricked her.

"Why are we even up here? We can't see a thing how are we suppose to guide our dragon?"

"That's the point. When we can't see what's happening we have to trust our dragons to guide us to safety. Observe," Hiccup explained. He nudged Toothless with his foot whispering for him to fly him out of the cloud bank. Toothless gave him a gummy smile.

_"Hold on tight, this is going to be a fast ride," _Toothless informed his rider. He opened his tail fin wide and tucked his wings in as he shot into the air. The Nightfury darted about gaining speed as he blasted through the clouds. Firing a plasma blast he dispersed the clouds creating an opening in the sky. With a sudden burst of speed he spun through the hole and out into the open air. The hole in the clouds filled in cutting off their view of the Twins and Zippleback. _ "You think they can do it? Chances are they'll fight each other instead of working together."_

"I have faith they can work together. We just have to trust them." Hiccup stretched his ears using his enhanced senses to follow the Twins conversation. What he heard wasn't very encouraging.

'Trusting our dragon to guide us? I don't know about that. Barf, can you find your way out of this cloud bank?"

_"I could get us out of this cloud bank with my eyes closed no problem."_

_ "Trusting you is a mistake. I'm the one with the good sense of direction. You should follow my lead."_

"That's good enough for me! Belch up!" Tuffnut commanded at the same time his sister ordered Barf down. The result was the two heads knocking into one another and the dragon started spinning out of control. As they fell the duo riders crashed into Meatlug and Fishlegs who were practicing the same exercise beneath them.

"Oh this isn't good this is very bad ahhhh!" Fishlegs screamed as he fell into the trees. Meatlug struggled to untangle herself from underneath the Zippleback's underbelly. Using a blast of fire she managed to blow the other dragon off her and started hovering to catch her breath. Looking down at her rider she saw him give her a hand signal.

Hiccup, who had asked Toothless to fly them closer to check on the riders, saw with his enhanced sight what Fishlegs had done. He was amazed by Meatlug's ability to understand such a rudimentary form of communication and complete a rescue. "That was incredible! When did you come up with such a cool idea?"

"During our time on Trollapolize Island I thought it would be a good idea to come up with a way to talk with our dragons when other dragons were listening. I've come up with some signals and they work pretty well. Also since there discreet our enemies won't notice them and other dragons will ignore them as odd human behavior."

"Let's head back to the Academy and get started on coming up with some signals. If this works out we can start training the younger children and the Terrors to respond to simple commands."

"Not to mention hand signals are the best way for Gothi to communicate with Lumina; you know since she's mute and all."

Back at the Academy the other riders were really excited to try something new with their dragons. It was a lot of hard work to come up with simple signals that could convey complex commands. For now they were starting out with both verbal and physical signs until the dragons mastered each one.

"This is going to be the coolest technique ever! You ready Hookfang to show them why you're the greatest?"

_"Just make sure I can understand your signals and we'll have no problems," _Hookfang replied as he gave his rider an affectionate gaze. The relationship between the two of them had gotten better once Snotlout stopped acting so bossy and Hookfang started to pay attention more. The Monstrous Nightmare waited patiently for his signal.

Snotlout shot his fist up into the air shouting "Hookfang annihilate!" The boy quickly ducked as a steady stream of fire passed over his head roasting a line of targets. "Alright you managed to destroy all the targets in one shot! You're amazing boy!"

"So amazing he nearly burnt you to a crisp. Might want to work on those hand signals. Okay girl let's show them what we can do." Astrid raised her clawed hands aiming them at the far wall. "Stormfly spine shot!"

The Deadly Nadder whipped her tail around firing her spines with deadly accuracy. The spines embedded themselves into the wall with only one nearly taking out Astrid's foot. "Good job girl; next time it will be perfect," she said patting her dragon on the nose. The Nadder cooed and wagged her tail in delight.

Hiccup and Toothless were doing well with their hand signals. They had managed to come up with few commands. They had one for "battle ready", "plasma blast" and "smile" though the last one needed a bit of work. Hiccup was very proud of his accomplishments. He was about to scratch Toothless under the chin when they all heard another argument break out between the Twins and their dragon.

"Stop trying to control my dragon! Barf attack Tuffnut!" Barf obligated his rider head butting her brother in the side. Tuffnut was not happy. Clenching his fist he ordered Belch to eat his sister's head. As the dragon head started to shake her she let out a whine of distress gesturing for Barf to rescue her. Barf head butted Belch and soon the cooperation between the four of them ended in a fist/head fight.

"All of you stop fighting this instant! Did you hear me I said stop!" Hiccup shouted, as he raced over. Suddenly he clutched his head in pain as his gem necklace glowed. As he sank to his knees the fighting stopped as everyone came over to ask him if he was okay. He brushed them off looking the Twins directly in the eye. "Remember how you all fused together as one back in the Valley of Night? You have to replicate that unity if this is going to work. Barf and Belch are two heads with one body so try using one command."

"Our commands would work if Tuffnut would follow my lead!"

"Why should I follow a girl? Everyone knows that men are the leaders of the tribe not girls!"

"That's it, I'm leaving and taking my dragon with me!"

"Don't you dare touch that dragon!"

_"Hey stop it we don't move like that!"_

_ "This is going to hurt!"_

After falling in a heap the Twins took off in opposite directions and their dragon left unhappily trying to figure out what was the matter with his riders. The others sighed hoping that whatever was the matter with the Twins would be resolved soon enough. For now there was nothing they could do.

As Hiccup approached his house he heard shouting and painful grunts. Wondering what the fuss was about he opened the door and saw Gobber struggling to help Stoick put on the ceremonial belt. Apparently it was a little tight, not that anyone would accuse Stoick of putting on weight.

"So it's that time of the year again is it?"

"Yep, tomorrow is the annual signing of the treaty with the Berserker tribe. I hope that everything goes smoothly tomorrow with them."

"Why wouldn't it? The tribe hasn't been to war in fifty years and their leader Oswald the Agreeable is the most reasonable chief in the Barbaric Archipelago."

"Considering there are foreign dignitaries and dragons on the island this year Stoick does have pause for concern," a voice said from the doorway. Steinar and Ula entered the house with Nissa trailing behind them. Instead of her normal attire she was dressed in her royal Xanadu attire. Her light pink tunic with gold trimmings was freshly pressed and her lavender top and red toga drappings were freshly washed with new leather sandals on her feet. She had adorned herself in ruby tiara, her gem necklace with bronze wristbands.

The Honor Guard members had trimmed their orange hair along with some make up to highlight their turquoise eyes. They had put on a slightly modified version of their ceremonial uniform. They still wore their form fitting orange tunic and pants, but the trimming was silver instead of bronze. Their golden armor, helmet, and arm guard were freshly polished with newly sharpened weapons hung at their belt complementing their shorter capes. Both members had serious expressions on their faces looking at their princess.

"Hey Nissa, I was wondering why you weren't at training today. What's with the royal attire?"

"I've reviewed the treaty and it clearly states that if a foreign dignitary is on Berk during the annual renewal they must be present throughout the day to show they mean no threat and haven't created an alliance to go against the Berserkers. For that express purpose I have adorned myself in my royal outfit to declare my status," Nissa explained as she twirled around modeling her outfit. Hiccup's face flushed as he tried to keep his thoughts private though her smile said his appreciation for her beauty was sensed.

"I still feel as if this is a security risk. Though the Berserkers haven't waged war for fifty years, (and you don't look old enough to have been signing it with them for that long Stoick), it a huge security risk to have you present throughout the day. The risk to your safety is to great Princess," Steinar informed his charge. He fingered his sword grip nervously at the thought of fighting hundreds of crazy warriors.

"He's right Your Highness, especially since your determined to discuss ideas of peace and cooperation with Oswald. Tyra forbid you risk revealing our dual nature to this man in an attempt to broker an alliance. From our observations of the other tribes in the area it would be foolish to entrust our secret to them so soon."

"Ula, would you please relax. I'm not going to take that risk just yet, but I have to be present. I won't risk Berk's safety by not abiding by the rules of the treaty. Our own mission forbids me from doing that anyways. If something goes wrong I know that you and Steinar will defend me. Besides, it's not like I'm completely defenseless. I know tai chi and I'm wicked with a mace remember?"

"Maybe you can put those skills to use when Dagur arrives. That kid is certifiably nuts! Every time we've met I always end up nearly dead."

"I know that Hiccup, I comforted you that year he nearly drowned you remember? Don't worry I can handle Dagur no problem."

"Neither of you will have to worry about Dagur. I have a more important job for you. It involves the dragons. I need you..." Stoick started to say when the door burst open and a small shape shouting _"Hiccup!" _tackled the scion to the floor. An amused chuckle was heard as Orli strolled inside the house nuzzling her mate.

_"Sorry about that Toothless. I was returning from my rounds, carrying out Stoick's orders. I thought Lumina would like a chance to stretch her wings a bit so I brought her along knowing she'll be unhappy tomorrow being cooped up. I decided to give my report and well she got a little excited," _Orli explained, the amusement never leaving her eyes. Orli had adjusted quickly to living on Berk. Hiccup's room was to small for all three of them so she slept comfortably in a nest on the roof. She had yet to form a bond with a rider, though she didn't protest when someone needed a lift.

_"I wondered where you had flown off to. I thought you'd want to see me in action at the Academy. Wait, what do you mean Stoick's orders? What have you been up to?"_

_ "Preparing for the visit of the other tribe of course! Hiccup why do I have to stay hidden in my basket in Gothi's hut all day tomorrow? I wanted to play with my friends at the school," _Lumina whined. She gave him the dragon equivalent of the puppy dog eyes, which only furthered the confusion of the teen.

"Dad, what are they talking about. Does this have something to do with what you need me to do."

"Aye, Oswald may be agreeable, but even he can't ignore the possible threat dragons pose to him should we go to war. I know that none of the villagers are looking forward to staying in their homes tomorrow and dragons hate being confined even more. Still its our best option to hide the dragons and signs of their inhabitance until after the Berserkers leave. So I asked Orli to help with those preparations."

_"The nests on Dragon Outcropping are camouflaged and the shelters here re-purposed. The Timberjacks are going to hide deep in the forest and the Whispering Deaths have provided hidey holes for some of the younger dragons. The rest of them have agreed to stay in the air, though we'll need to patrol to keep them out of sight. I talked with the sentries who've agreed to allow the ships safe passage, but reserve the right to defend our shores should the Berserkers attack," _Orli explained.

"So my friends and I are responsible for the dragons in the sky. I can handle that no problem."

"Good because unless something goes horribly wrong then the treaty signing will go without a hitch."

"I don't have a good feeling about this."

"Neither do I neither do I."

Just like the Honor Guard predicted something did go wrong the next day. The teens had done their best to hide the youngsters underground and were keeping the elders in the air. Everything was going smoothly as they recounted their memories of Dagur only to have Barf and Belch slip away to look for his rider. Attempts to catch them ended up in a failure as the horn sounded the approach of the ship. Hiccup and Toothless raced to the docks to inform Stoick while the others finished their task.

Hiccup raced towards his father on the docks as he saw dozens of ships begin to sail towards them, each marked with a dragon symbol on the front sail. He slowed as he reached the docks and glanced between the ships and his father nervously. Nissa was standing attention on his left side her Honor Guard flanking her. She looked at Hiccup as she sensed his dread through their bond. "Um Dad, there's something-"

"Not now son." Stoick interrupted as he observed their company. "Oswald is here."

Hiccup quieted and stared up at the docking ship with wide eyes. Nissa grasped his hand squeezing it gently. "It will be okay, just stay positive," she whispered.

A helmeted soldier lowered a wooden board and raised spear in his other hand as he called out to them. "Presenting, the high chief of the Berserker tribe. Cracker of skulls, slayer of beasts! The great and fearsome-"

"Oswald the Agreeable?" Gobber questioned.

The soldier shot the blacksmith a glare for interrupting before he continued. "Dagur the Deranged!"

The soldier stepped aside so that Dagur could be seen. The bulky teen turned towards them with a frown. Blue paint marked his left eye and right arm while two tall horns towered above his helmet, making him look much taller. He spit at the side of the boat and grinned wickedly at them.

"Dagur?" Stoick questioned in surprise.

"Deranged?" Gobber added.

"Oh no." Hiccup murmured as Nissa's eyes widened in surprise. She could hear in her mind Steinar and Ula whispering how they had been right.

Dagur strutted down the game-plank in all his glory, his eyes darting about searching for something. He frowned unhappily when he didn't spot what he was looking for. Stoick decided to address the teen chief and figure out what was happening. "Dagur…where is your father?" Stoick asked.

"My father has been…retired. He lost his taste for blood. I on the other hand am starving!" he sang out his last words. He chuckled wickedly towards himself before trailing off and looking around. "So…where are you hiding them…Stoick?" he asked, eyes full of suspicion.

"Hiding what Dagur?" Stoick dropped his arm and tried to look innocent.

"Do I look stupid to you?" the teen raised his voice.

"Trick question, don't answer it." Gobber whispered into Stoick's ear.

"We both know what's going on here." Dagur continued. "I have it on excellent authority that you're massing an army of dragons." He spun an axe in his left hand threateningly to emphasize his words.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, nor should you dismiss your father for valuing peace and stability over bloodshed and war," Nissa informed the teen. Dagur actually jumped a bit backwards as his men inched forward to protect their leader. It seemed that the Berserker chief hadn't noticed her until that moment. As he looked her over Ula and Steinar flanked her, hands on their swords ready to defend her if necessary.

"Well well I've never seen your or such exotic clothing on any of my visits to this miserable island. Who exactly are you and what gives you the right to voice your opinions to me?"

Nissa stood at her full height taking a single step closer to the chief refusing to be intimidated. "My name is Princess Nissa Draki of the island of Xanadu; a place some distance from here which is why you never heard of it. These are my Honor Guard protectors Ula and Steinar. We've formed an alliance of sorts with Berk and I'm currently acting as an ambassador for my people. Your treaty states quite clearly that I need to be present during your visit as an act of friendship," she told him smoothly. Brushing a strand of pink hair behind her ear she continued. "As for giving my opinion I don't see why I shouldn't. My people value peace, knowledge, and friendship above all else."

Dagur gave a bark of laughter clutching his side. "Peace? Knowledge? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! What good are those things if you don't have the power and weapons to back it up? See my armada of fifty thousand brave men? They've waited years to taste blood! I bet you can't even use that mace of yours!" Without warning he lunged at her with his ax ready to land a blow.

In the blink of an eye Nissa brought up her arm using her bands to block the axe. With a flick of her wrist the axe went flying into the sea. Growling the teen leader threw a punch which she again blocked. Taking smooth even breaths she maneuvered around the Berserkers punches responding quickly to each attack. He kicked at her only for her to side step and use his own momentum to trip him up. Snarling he whipped out a long knife slicing her toga and cutting her belt with the mace off. As he stood up again ready to lash out Hiccup surprisingly slid between the two using his dagger to block the knife. At this point the Honor Guard members had their swords out and ready to engage the Berserkers coming to aid their leader.

"Enough! Ula, Steinar stand down that's an order!"

"Men, back off all of you!"

"But Princess/Dagur!"

"Its alright, he wanted to see if I could defend myself and I've proven that just because I seek peace doesn't mean I'm defenseless. There is no reason we can't continue with this visit and treaty signing. Hiccup, please stand down."

"He tried to kill you! I won't let him hurt you!"

"So you finally developed a taste for blood Hiccup? What happen to the scrawny screw up? Did he disappear when you had your little make over? Love the toned, taller, muscular look, but lavender hair? What a riot!" Dagur laughed only to stop when he found a dagger inches from his throat.

"Nissa has been my best friend for years. If you attempt to hurt her in any way you'll see how much of a Viking I am!" he growled, his eyes flashing light green for a second. Stoick placed a hand on his son shoulder directing him away. Dagur smiled enjoying the rush of blood after such an enjoyable fight and impressed by Hiccup's bravado. Maybe this visit would be fun after all.

"Hiccup, why don't you go see how your friends are doing while Nissa and I give Dagur the tour of the village. We'll meet up later in the Great Hall for the treaty signing. Dagur, I'll let this skirmish slide, but if you threaten the princess or any of my tribe again we will defend ourselves understand?"

"Understood Stoick, I'm actually looking forward to getting to know Nissa was it?" He sheathed his knife and they all started heading up to the village. He walked closely next to Nissa with only Ula blocking him. "So, what was that style of fighting you used against me? I've never seen something like that before."

"Its called T'ai chi ch'uan or tai chi for short. It's a form of physical health and self defense based on the philosophy of using soft movements to redirect your opponents hard attacks causing minimal damage to yourself. It has many key points and can be used with weapons. Perhaps I'll give you a proper demonstration another time Dagur," Nissa responded curtly. She was slightly distracted from the conversation as she sensed Hiccup's anger and worry through the bond. No doubt there was one dragon loose in the village. She hoped that Hiccup could wrangle the dragon and hide it fast.

"Any form of combat that relies solely on defense isn't worth a Berserkers time, but I still would enjoy seeing you fight properly later. Maybe we can have another go this time with weapons and lots of blood flying!" The other Berserkers joined in with their chief's laughter as the tour reached the edge of the village.

Meanwhile, "Oh…this is bad, this is bad, this is really bad!" Hiccup spoke under his breath as he ran past houses, looking everywhere for the missing Zippleback. Adrenaline was pumping through his system. He couldn't believe he actually threatened Dagur, him! Something weird was happening to him and he bet an entire barrel of fish it had something to do with his gem necklace. He'd worry about that later. He needed to find Barf and Belch fast!

Suddenly Astrid appeared and latched onto his arm before dragging him in between two houses. "Hiccup, we have a problem."

"Oh yeah? you're telling me!" Hiccups voice grew frantic. "Dagur is the new Berserker chief!"

"What?" Astrid was taken aback.

"His father retired and he thinks we're hiding dragons!" He pulled his own hair, eyes wide with bewilderment.

"Well…we kind of are." Astrid said as she grabbed the boy's hands and eased them before he ripped his hair out. "Which brings us to our next problem." She gestured towards the ground under them and Hiccup followed her gaze.

"Huh…Barf…Belch…Here?"

They both looked up when they heard a grumbling across the clearing and they could see the two-headed dragon digging into a basket, clueless toward the young Berserker chief making his way into the village. The young Viking acted quickly and dragged the basket away causing the dragon to follow just as Gobber and the other walked in front of the houses.

"And we're walking…walking…" They stopped in front of a large wooden shed. "Here we have our food storage…where we-"

"Oh, oh, oh! Let me guess." Dagur interrupted. "Store your food."

Dagur walked forward to observe the housing and Gobber practically growled behind him. "No wonder they made em' chief."

"Boooring! Dagur whined. He paused suddenly and looked at Nissa. "So what contributions has your tribe given to Berk? I haven't seen anything new."

"We have contributed greatly to our friends. We have provided trade, knowledge, and culture to the island. The glass you see over there was crafted by us. We're responsible for the new school and have greatly added to their songs and stories," Steinar admitted proudly.

"In exchange Berk has offered us new items to trade including food and weapons, protection should we need it, and of course friendship. Our presences on the island is to further understand the culture here on Berk while showing the tribe and their neighbors the benefits of peace," Ula finished.

"Doesn't sound much like an alliance to me. We're Vikings we don't read and who cares about school? A Viking is born and bred to fight spilling as much blood as possible. Killing things especially dragons is what we do best. I'm beginning to think the Hooligan tribe's gone soft."

Nissa causally bumped into Dagur sending him sprawling to the ground. "Oops, you should watch your step. Here let me help you up," she said grasping his arm daring him to fling her to the ground. Grunting he got up and swore he heard her in his mind telling him knowledge was power when used right. "I must be getting really deranged. Let's see those dragon killing weapons and I'll show you a real man."

Inside the armory, Stoick, Gobber, and Nissa waited patiently as Dagur played with various weapons and pretended he was slaying different species of dragons. The Honor Guard members were standing nearby attempting to have a civil conversation with Dagur's bodyguards.

A random sword flew into the wooden column next to Stoick's head and he yanked it out without a flinch. He gripped the sword tightly in his fist, wanting nothing more than to slice the new Berserker chief's neck open. Sensing his mood Nissa placed a hand on his shoulder using her Dragon Heart to send soothing thoughts to his mind.

"He's really got a handle on that whole deranged thing." Gobber grumbled.

Stoick grip tightened and Gobber brought his hands up to ease his friend's rage. "Why…don' we see about signing' that treaty now?" He looked hopefully towards Dagur.

Dagur sheathed to sword on his back and frowned at the two older men. "You sound like my father…sign the treaty Dagur!...leave that chicken alone Dagur!...Put down that axe Dagur!"

Stoick and Gobber exchanged looks as the teen's voice hitched. "Your father is a great man." Stoick stated, walking up to fix Dagur with a defensive stare, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I will not have you disrespect him!"

"My father was…a coward. I intend to return the Berserkers to their former glory…something he was incapable of doing." Dagur stated defiantly. He noticed the princess eyes narrowing at him, her fists clenching. Her body language indicated she was having a difficult time keeping herself contained. Wanting to see more of her fiery temper he decided to test her limits. "You have anything to say Princess? You seem awfully upset about something."

"Maybe I don't like fools who disavow their parents based on absurd assumptions! My parents are dead. They died defending me and the rest of the family from men similar to you. I wonder how much you'd enjoying watching your loved ones life pass through the veil into the afterlife knowing they died for you. Taking pleasure from killing, whether it be human or animal, is wrong in my opinion."

"If your parents died defending you the I see no greater honor than that. I'll wager they'll be some of the fiercest warriors in Valhalla. As for killing, I see nothing wrong with the glory of ending a human or dragons life during combat. Maybe you just need to experience it for yourself to understand what I'm talking about." Suddenly there was a heavy thud on the roof and they all heard what sounded like something moving on the roof. "What's that? I bet it's a dragon!"

"You're truly deranged if you believe that a dragon would just show up here now during the day for you to slay. Why don't you tell us more about your deranged plans for the Berserkers Dagur?" Gobber said trying to distract him.

From outside the Armory Hiccup ran frantically towards the double doors and searched for the missing dragon "Barf…Belch!" he tried to whisper. He jumped when he head a gurgling from behind him and he spun around to see both dragon heads gazing curiously at him from atop the Armory roof.

_"Hi Hiccup how are you?"_

_ "Have you seen Tuffnut or Ruffnut?"_

"NO! Guys you can't be here…oh come on," he moaned seeing the two heads were ignoring him. He paused and thought to himself. What do they do?…okay uh…think like Ruffnut and Tuffnut…I can't believe I just said that. He flung his arms up in a hopeful gesture in an attempt to shoo the dragon away. "Barf, Belch, Sky!" The dragon heads continued to ignore him and Hiccup was starting to get mad.

_"Hiccup, what's going on out there? We're trying to stall Dagur, but he's about ready to leave!" _ Nissa whispered through their bond. He glimpsed in his mind what was happening behind the closed doors knowing time was running out. In a last ditched effort to get rid of the dragon he clutched the gem necklace willing the magic to flow into him.

An emerald green aura surrounded him and the Zippleback. Their minds linked becoming one. Without hesitation he used this connection to force the dragon to take off just as the doors to the armory burst open. "Hiccup, nice to see you again. What's the matter you look a little green."

"I'm fine, just a bit of queasiness. Hey, remember that time we went swimming and…you tried to drown me!" Hiccup couldn't help the awkward shudder that raced up his spine as he forced himself to sound merry.

Dagur let out a serious of bizarre chuckles. "Oh…the laughs we had. So I see you have a prosthetic, its a lot different then the one the old man has."

"My people have advance medicinal skills Dagur. When Hiccup told us he lost his leg in a fight I felt obligated to give him the best prosthetic we could make. It's almost as good as the real thing. I'm hungry Dagur, why not have lunch?"

They began walking towards the Great Hall until a loud grumbling sound echoed from in the village and Dagur and the other turned to stare at Hiccup.

The boy paused before thinking fast and imitating the noise he just heard while rubbing his stomach. "Blargarg…oh boy am I hungry!" he laughed nervously as Stoick guided Dagur away.

"I said it's this way, Dagur."

Dagur gave Hiccup a final look before walking with the other towards the Great Hall.

Stoick leaned down towards Hiccup and whispered to his son. "Get that dragon out of here." Hiccup stiffened at his father's harsh tone before the Stoick straightened himself and followed the others. Hiccup took a deep breath and ran behind the armory to see Toothless standing next to Barf and Belch as the two dragon heads snapped and growled at one another.

"We need the Twins," he whispered concluding the Zippleback wasn't going to follow any of his instructions today. He hoped that whatever was bothering the Twins would be resolved quickly before Dagur saw anything suspicious.

Astrid and Hiccup both pushed open the door to the twin's house and peered inside. They searched the darkened room as they walked in just as Toothless forced himself through the front door to join them.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Hiccup practically jumped out of his skin as Tuff's upper body swung down from above the entrance. "Hey Tuffnut how are you today? Feel like talking?"

"Whatever," he stated. He did a back flip before landing hard on his feet. He wobbled slightly and grinned. "Whoa…yeah, I love that part."

"Look about Barf and Belch, we need you and Ruffnut to help us get your dragon under control." Hiccup explained carefully.

"Uh, uh, No thank you!" Tuff's shoulder slumped at the mention of his sister. "I am officially out of the dragon business…and the sister business…and the dragon and sister business…the drist-ster-sness-ness…"

"What's going on with you two?" Astrid asked with an actual hint of concern.

"Simple." Tuffnut turned in the room and retrieved a wooden spoon the hold in front of them. "You know what this is?"

Hiccup frowned. "Uh…a spoon?"

"No, its OUR spoon, just like this is OUR dish and OUR axe and OUR well groomed stuffed Yak." His voice rose as he gestured to each of the items in the room. "Everything is OURS! But I'm sick of OURS, for just once I want something to be just mine! I don't even have an identity of my own. It's always the Twins! I'm just sick of it." He walked passed the two of them. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go pack up MY half of the Yak."

Hiccup's face filled with concern. "Go?...where?"

"I don't know. To my dark, soggy alone place…not to cry," he whispered. Looking around and his face fell. "This house…its has too many memories." He stalked out the front door and Toothless grumbled sympathetically.

"Tuff!" Hiccup called after him but the Viking wouldn't turn around. He and Astrid stood in the doorway and watched him go.

"Dark, soggy alone place?" Astrid questioned.

Hiccup made a disgusted face. "Yeah, I really don't wanna know."

A little while later, the entourage crowded together in the Great Hall. Hiccup sat next to his father while Dagur sat on the opposite end, rambling on about some nonsense with his fellow Berserkers.

Stoick leaned down next his son and whispered into his ear. "Did you get that Zippleback under control?"

"Not exactly, I'm working on it, but the Twins and their dragon aren't cooperating with me."

"Well do something about quickly."

While Stoick and Hiccup talked Nissa was patiently listening as Dagur bragged about his adventures and his plans for his tribe. Occasionally she interrupt adding an interesting anecdote. Behind her the Honor Guard was doing the same thing as they listened to the body guards. Finally Nissa suggested that Dagur give a toast so they could move along with the proceedings. He stood up and held his mug into the air. "A toast! To death!" He belted.

However Gobber stood up next to him and interjected with his own toast. "To your father!" The other Vikings raised their mugs and followed the statement. "To Oswald!"

Dagur slumped back into his seat. "Fine…whatever. To Oswald! To Oswald! Bladeh-blah-bladeda-bleh!" He growled in frustration and stabbed his food with a knife.

"Well on that cheery note," Gobber began. "Shall we sign the treaty and send you on your way?" He unfolded the parchment and presented it to the young chief with hopeful eyes.

"Great idea!" Dagur stood again. "Lets sign that treaty. Bring us the dragon's blood!" he commanded.

Hiccup's eyes widened from where he sat. "Uh…did you say dragon's blood?" He didn't have to glance over to know that Nissa had a horrified expression on her face. She blurted out, "Are you serious? Using blood as ink? Not only will that fade rather quickly it's not the best medium to use on an official document. Not to mention its disgusting."

"It's the way we do things here Princess; get use to it."

Stoick gave a nervous laugh. "Don't be ridiculous Dagur, yer' father and I haven't signed a treaty in dragon's blood fer' over fifty years."

Dagur eyed the larger man suspiciously. "Why would that be a problem, Stoick?" He brought his face closer and lowered his voice. "In less of course, you don't kill dragons anymore?"

The room Hall filled with confused grumbles and Stoick eyes their surrounding with caution before answering. "A-heh, we still kill dragons." He said rather forcefully, eyes filling with anger as he stared back at Dagur.

"The problem is," Gobber added. "We've killed so many, that there isn't a dragon within two-hundred miles of here." That was the moment when Murphy's Law inevitably came true as Barf and Belch burst into the hall looking for the Twins. Not seeing them they marched out outside unaware of the horror unfolding in the Great Hall.

"A Zippleback its a sign from the Gods! We're going to each have a head to slay and enough blood for even you Princess to sign! Men let's go hunt us a dragon!" Dagur shouted as the Berserkers flooded out of the Great Hall brandishing their weapons and screaming threats.

"Not good, not good at all!" Hiccup moaned.

"Now is not the time for self pity! Find the Twins quickly and hide their dragon. We'll try to stop Dagur, I bet he's never seen magic at work up close. Hurry!" Nissa said shoving her friend out the door as the rest of the entourage tried to catch up with their guests.

"How exactly are we going to stop them from hunting Barf and Belch? We can't risk the other dragons being exposed by having the Deaths or Timbers coming to the aid," Ula stated as they hurried along.

"The rest of our cousins are to high up and farther away to make a difference. Stoick and Gobber can't risk saving the dragon or the entire armada will unleash its power upon us," Steinar informed them.

"That's why I'm going to use magic, hopefully it will buy us enough time. I hope this works," Nissa said as she came to a halt a few feet behind the Berserkers. She closed her eyes and starting taking deep breaths. She used her meditation techniques feeling the light and energy from the sun and island filling her body. Raising her hands above her she began to chant a spell. "_Our dragon friend is in serious trouble. A deranged chief seeks his death by taking his last breath. Copies are what we need so make them on the double!" _

Her gem necklace lit up as swirls of rainbow lights twisted and bent in the sky above, not that the Berserkers noticed as they were to busy tracking to look up. The lights condensed and reformed into several copies of their Zippleback friend. With zeal the copies scattered around the forest splintering the Berserkers in several different directions.

"Good thinking; they'll chase those phantoms only to have them vanish when they try to kill them. How long will your spell last?"

"Hard to say its difficult to maintain that many copies at once. Maybe fifteen minutes tops and then I only have enough reserves to cast one or two spells. Let's pray for luck that Dagur doesn't find the real Barf and Belch before the riders do." Luck was being fickle with the group. Though a majority of the Berserkers ended up chasing phantoms Dagur seemed to possess an unnatural ability to track the real thing.

They had just reached a clearing where Barf and Belch were cornered. The Zippleback was snapping at the Berserkers trying to frighten them away. When they tried to fly away spears were launched at them nearly taking out his wings. Bolas were launched tying up their body as lassos wrapped around their heads bringing them down. Seeing her friend in trouble Nissa reacted on instinct casting a blinding spell. Dagur screamed in pain as his eyes were nearly burnt to a crisp. Seeing an opening the Zippleback managed to break free and was about to take off when the rest of the Berserkers showed up.

It was no contest as the overwhelming numbers surrounded the dragon bringing him down. They chained the legs, threw ropes around the body and lastly muzzled the heads. Dagur had a look of utter bless as he got ready to cut off Barf's head when Nissa touched his arm hoping her Dragon Heart could help. "Wait a minute Dagur..."

"If you think you can stop me from slaying this dragon then your mistaken Princess. I'm going to make this dragon's death glorious and bathe in its blood as sign of the Berserkers triumphant return."

"I wouldn't dream of trying to sway you from killing the beast. However you are a guest on this island and you did promise Stoick a head. Why not take the dragon to the Kill Ring and do it properly? I'm sure that all the weapons there would make this much easier."

"You know something your right. Maybe there's hope for you yet. Men, drag that beast to the Kill Ring! We're serving dragon meat tonight!"

_"Nissa have you betrayed us? You can't let them kill us!"_

_ "I don't want to be dragon meat!"_

_ "Don't worry, I know Hiccup and the other will think of some way to rescue you. We just need a bit more time." _

The riders had watched the events hidden by the trees. The Twins had looks of anguish on their faces as they watched their dragon be dragged away. "Please tell me your dad won't let our dragon be killed!" Ruffnut demanded.

"He may not have a choice. If he makes a move to save Barf and Belch then the armada is going to attack."

"Can't Nissa or the Honor Guard do something? Use their flames to make them forget about this?"

"They'd be risking exposure and certain death if they tried to manifest right now."

"We have to do something! We can't just give up."

"Well what do you suggest Fishlegs? The Berserkers outnumber us and Dagur is too stubborn to be deterred. It would take a massive raid to convince him to leave."

_"Then might I suggest you do just that," _a female voice said. They all spun around in shock as Orli and a bunch of other dragons landed behind them. She nuzzled her mate before continuing. _"We've watched the whole visit from a safe distance and witnessed what happened. We refuse to allow one of our pack members to be slayed. If a dragon raid is needed then that's what they'll get."_

_ "You have a brilliant plan don't you my beloved?"_

_ "Yes, here's what we're going to do," _ Orli said as she laid out her plan grinning the whole time.

In the Kill Ring Barf and Belch struggled futilely to break free. The lassos were pulled tight forcing their heads to the ground. Dagur was moving in close for the kill as the Daypeaces stood off to the side nervously. Gobber was trying to keep Stoick back from blowing their secret. It seemed all hope was lost.

"With the slaying of this dragon I'll bring glory to the new reign of the Berserker tribe!" Dagur cackled raising his sword above his head. He was about to bring it down when a loud shout startled him.

"Dragon raid! We're being raided by dragons!" Hiccup, (in the poorest acting skills in the world), shouted. "Dad we're being raided by dragons!" The other teens, save the Twins joined him shouting about attacks in the village and bay.

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Gobber asked only to jump out of the way as Hookfang blasted fire into the ring scattering the group. Stormfly and Meatlug flew into the ring shooting streams of fire all over the place. Hidden behind different objects the riders gave their dragons the hand signals. Stormfly unleashed a barrage of spikes, Meatlug belly flopped and Hookfang tried to annihilate anyone in his path.

Meanwhile in the village, the Berserkers standing guard and doing inspections were suddenly under attack as twenty Terrible Terrors of variety of colors led by Lumina swooped down on the unsuspecting men. _"Attack! Bite them, claw them, do whatever it takes to drive them from our island!" _the little Skrill commanded as she somersaulted between the legs of two men. She lashed out with her sharp talons destroying their axes. Jumping on top of a barrel she fired white lightning bursts at the approaching men nailing three so hard in the chest they went down. She flew into the air avoiding a sword swipe using her tail to slap the man in the back of his head. _"Is everyone okay?"_

_ "We're fine Lumina! In fact this is the most fun we've had in a long while. Take that you overgrown bully! I'll bite more than your nose off if you come after me!" _ Fang growled as he leapt on top of another Berserker clawing at his eyes and biting into his nose.

In the bay the armada found itself under siege as the sentries attacked. The four Snaptrappers with all their heads working in unison dodged the catapults and harpoons fired at them. While two heads breathed fire melting their weapons the other two used their long prehensile tongues to grab men and hurl them into the ocean water. On the other side of the armada the Berserkers were doing a good job of destroying their own ships as the family of Changewings darted about leading the men on merry chase. The two youngsters used their acid to burn holes in the ships sinking four of them.

Back in the Kill Ring the Barf and Belch had "accidentally" been freed by Ula and Steinar rushing to the aid of the Berserkers. The Twins were working in perfect harmony as they used their hand signals to command the Zippleback to release their gas and spark it injuring several of the Berserkers. Stoick and Gobber rushed in to "help" contain the dragon.

"This is the most glorious sight I've ever beheld. Men, don't give up until your final breath! I want the head of at least one dragon!" Dagur shouted.

"Watch out!" Nissa shouted tackling the teen chief as two Nightfuries entered the ring firing plasma blasts. Orli and Toothless landed a few feet from the fallen teenagers as Hiccup rushed in to "save" them.

"Back you monstrosities! I won't allow you to harm my friends," Hiccup said as he took a swipe at them with his dagger. Giving the signal Toothless shot a round of plasma blasts that Hiccup deflected with shield. Unsheathing his teeth the male Nightfury jumped on top of the boy ready to bite him when Hiccup squirmed out the way leading the dragon away.

"Nightfuries they do exist! I'm going to be the first Berserker to kill one!" Dagur crowed throwing a knife at Toothless only for Orli to snap it out of mid air destroying it in the single bite. Behind Dagur Nissa gave her own hand signal ordering Orli to use her tail to smack the teen into the wall, which she complied to. The Daypeace had to duck as Dagur went flying over her head into the far wall. One of his knives slid across the floor towards Nissa who picked it up to defend herself with.

"_Orli, watch it you nearly took off my head!" _ Nissa hissed ducking under a claw strike. Orli was inching closer using a fury attack to force the girl back towards Dagur, who was trying to get up.

_"Sorry, but we have to make this realistic or he won't believe it. Do you have the treaty?"_

_ "Yeah get into position. Sorry in advance!" _Nissa whispered. "I'm not afraid of you dragon. Take this!" Orli allowed herself to be slightly cut by the knife drawing a bit of blood. Jumping backwards Nissa dragged Dagur out of the Ring with his men trailing him. "You need to get to safety now!"

"I'm not running away like a coward!"

"A good warrior knows when to retreat to fight another day. If you want the blood a dragon so badly here take this and sign the treaty," she said shoving the parchment and knife at him. Fire was shooting at them in all directions and they could hear screams of terror as the rest of the Berserkers raced back to the boat. Even Dagur could see that it was necessary to retreat to save the rest of his men. Taking the knife he signed the treaty in blood and raced back to his boat.

Nissa watched him go using her royal abilities to call out to the Changewings and Snaptrappers informing them to retreat. Orli came up from behind her and watched until the armada was nothing, but distant specks in the horizon. The female friends shared a smile hugging each other before re entering the Academy. "The Berserkers are gone and Dagur signed the treaty. Despite Hiccup's horrible acting and the Twins squabble I have to say I think this visit went rather well."

"It certainly was the most interesting treaty visit. Let's hope the next one isn't as wild," Gobber mentioned.

"The important thing is that Berk is safe and the dragons aren't dead."

"I hope we don't see Dagur or his Berserkers for a long time."

"Something tells me we'll be seeing Dagur sooner rather than later."

On the flag ship the Berserkers were apologizing to Dagur for failing to slay a single dragon during the attack. They had lost a total of five ships and more than half the men were injured. "Apologizes Deranged One. We failed to kill a single dragon, but surely this attack is proof enough of what are source said was true. They do have a dragon army! Once we recover we can return to wage war on them and..."

"No, I signed the treaty and no matter how ill it makes me I can't wage war for at least another year. No matter, I'm no longer interested in whatever Stoick's plans are. I'm interested in someone else, _two _someone elses. Gather your stealthiest men and prepare for a long term observation mission. Send word to our source I want all available knowledge on both Hiccup and his friend Princess Nissa. I don't know what is going on between those two or what secrets there hiding, but know this. One way or another I'll make them both mine!" Dagur laughed deranged as his obsession over the two took root.


	2. Stalking His Targets

A sense of urgency was felt by the riders as they searched the ocean for Trader Johann's ship. Stoick had been anxiously waiting for days for him to arrive with a special delivery and now he was three days late. They had taken upon themselves to find the man and bring him back to Berk. As they flew through the air they looked for signs of the man and his ship.

"Anyone spot anything yet?" Hiccup called out

"Nothing except more ocean! How do we know that Trader Johann isn't dead or that his ship sank?" Snotlout asked.

_"I'll use my echolocation on the ocean floor to see if there's a sunken ship. If there's a recent wreck I'll find it," _Orli replied. Nissa was riding on the female Nightfury for security reasons. They couldn't have Johann witnessing her manifesting from her dragon form so for now she rode Orli. The duo plunged towards the ocean firing echolocation bursts through the ocean's surface. A signal from Nissa the two of them dove deep below.

"Are they going to be alright? The water is freezing today thanks to that cold snap," Fishlegs pointed out.

_"Their both dragons, well sort of. They'll be okay so don't worry."_

The female Nightfury broke through the surface of the water spinning around sending droplets of water from her black and purple scales. Nissa partially manifest her dragon snout releasing a low level flame warming herself. The two of them joined the rest of the pack looking none the worse for the wear. "We didn't find any recent wrecks however we did spot a trail of cargo heading in a northwest direction that looked pretty recent. I suggest we follow it and hopefully it will lead us to Johann."

The group followed the trail without any problems until they finally stumbled across a small outcropping. Johann had washed up on shore partially buried under a few planks. There was no sign of the boat anywhere in the vicinity. The group landed and starting helping the man out giving him food and water tending to his wounds.

"How are you feeling Johann? How long have you been here exactly?"

"I'm doing better thank you. As for how long I suppose you know that better than me."

"You were suppose to be at Berk three days ago. Where is your ship? How did you end up on this island so far from the main sailing lanes?"

"I was on my way to Berk, the weather was perfect and the sea was cooperating with me. I was making good time so I decided to do a little inventory. I had just finished counting up my new weapons cache I had gotten from a friend of mine when I was surrounded by a thick fog. I could hear menacing growling all around me. I stumbled about trying to save my ship only to earn myself bites and scratches. The entire ship started to rise out of the water. I fell over the side along with some planks. I managed to hold onto one of them. I must have clung on for hours before blacking out."

"Sounds like a Smothering Smokebreaths saw your stock and decided to bring it back to their nest. When an entire pack works as one they can lift at least three times their weight."

"Thank you Mr. Book of Dragons. We'd never would have suspected that."

"Hush, Johann my Dad was expecting something from you. Was it on your ship?"

"The treasure was on the ship, but it wasn't for your dad Hiccup it was for you. The item in question was a gift from your mother."

"My...my...my mother? How could that be? She's been dead for years."

"It doesn't matter now the important thing is to find the boat and get it back. Johann, do you remember where you were exactly when the Smokebreaths attacked?"

"I was near Breakneck Bog. Fly south until you come across a group of islands in the shape of a hand. The Bog is on the one shaped like the thumb."

"Okay we're going to split up. Snotlout, you and the Twins, escort Johann back to Berk. He can fly on Orli."

"Wait, why should we go back with Johann?"

"Yeah, can't Orli take him back herself?"

"She doesn't know the area as well as you three do. Please do this and I promise I'll make it up to you."

Without further argument the group separated. The teens were a bit angry that they couldn't join the rest of them on the retrieval mission, but they had to act like adults. Escorting Johann back was just as important as getting the treasure. Who knew, they might even run into trouble along the way.

The group had been flying for half an hour; listening as Johann told tales about his journeys searching for items to trade and the people he encountered. He had just gotten to the point in the story when he talked about running for his life from a group of murderous pygmy men when the dragons stalled. They started sniffing the air and searching the waters intensely.

"Whoa Barf, steady boy steady. What's wrong?"

_"I got a chill down my spines. I can't explain it, but I feel like someone is watching us!"_

"That's impossible, there are no ships in the immediate area. Take a look around its open ocean."

"Yeah and there's nowhere to hide!"

_"We know that, but our instincts are screaming that there is someone watching us," _Belch replied. Hookfang and Orli nodded as they hovered circling around in an agitated manner. Johann was clutching on for dear life as Orli zig zagged back and forth firing echolocation blasts. Hookfang kept climbing higher into the air barely containing his urge to set himself on fire.

"Hookfang buddy calm down! Please tell me what's gotten under your skin? There's nothing out there!"

_"Trust me there is something out there! I can't see it, but I can certainly smell it!" _

Snotlout was pulling on his horns hoping to calm him down, but it wasn't working. His dragon was just to agitated. One look at the Twins and Johann at it was clear that if they didn't calm the dragons down soon they all be taking an impromptu swim in the freezing ocean. Snotlout knew that his little party was known for their demimonde and was determined not to fail. A hand went to his opal necklace feeling its warmth flowing into his body. "I don't know exactly what kind of magic you possess, but if you can help me figure out what is bothering my dragon I'd really appreciate it."

The purplish glow shimmered around Snotlout and Hookfang's body. Their eyes widen becoming completely purple. A link was established between the two connecting their senses. The overload of sensory information threatened to do permanent brain damage. Snotlout struggled to make sense of the information. He could feel Hookfang's consciousness bubbling up inside him trying to help.

_"Don't fight it, let your senses adjust to it. Take a deep breath and let your mind go; give your instincts a chance to do what they do." _

Snotlout took his advice taking a few deep breaths slowly letting them out. His mind easily blanked out as his survival instincts kicked in loud and hard. Suddenly the new smells and sounds started to make sense to him. He smelled the scent of slightly charred wood and soaked linen sails. He could hear what sounded like human heartbeats and his sense of taste caused him to nearly gag on the foul tasting air. He scanned the waters once more searching for any sign of a boat or humans. Finally he spotted something in the distance, a pinprick near a dangerous reef. "Come on, I think I found out what's bothering the dragons so much!"

"Are you sure we should investigate this? I'd be happier if we returned to Berk right about noooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww!"

A short time later the group was hovering over the reef doing an aerial canvas. Snotlout and Hookfang were reaching their limits as they struggled to pinpoint what they had sensed. Suddenly the sun glistened off something out of the corner of their eyes. "I found something oi oi oi!" The duo landed on the edge of the reef. Hookfang used his big snout to flip over a capsized boat startling the group.

"Whoa how did you know that was there?" Tuffnut asked.

"I saw the sun bounce off the brace on the mast. Come on we have to, what's the word, investigate the ship." Landing on the reef the humans dismounted carefully and hopped on the boat. It was brand new with no signs of damage. The catapults were all in place, no damage to the sail or rudder, no visible leaks anywhere.

"I'm not seeing any reason for the ship to be here. There's no sign of damage anywhere. Did you two guys find any markings to tell us who the ship belongs to? Johann, do you recognize this ship from your travels?" Ruffnut questioned. The man shook his head unable to give them an answer. As the female Viking turned to leave she notice an alcove near the back. She strolled over running her hands over it nearly getting a splinter in them. "There was a small canoe in this alcove. Whoever owned this boat used it to escape, but why sink their own ship?"

_"Sometimes when we hunt for food if the prey sensed we were getting to close they leave something behind on the trail to distract us so they could escape. Maybe its the same thing here?" _ Barf voiced.

"It's a possibility. Its to heavy to fly back to Berk. We should take some of it back for Gobber to smell. Maybe he can figure it out. We should head back."

The escort group arrived back on the island at the same time the treasure recovery group returned. They all had slight burn marks on their bodies and their dragons seemed anxious. The humans were pale and their eyes kept shifting back and forth. "What happened to you guys? You look as if you saw a ghost or something? Were the Smokebreaths that scary?"

"Shut up Snotlout, the dragons were happy to give us back the treasure chest once we established contact," Astrid snarled. She was trying to ignore the racing of her heart. Their experience at the bog had greatly disturbed her.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Our dragons said that someone was stalking us. We tried to find signs of who could be after us, but found nothing. Unless you count a pit of skeletons nothing!" Fishlegs wailed. He was shaking so bad he could barely get off his dragon. She nuzzled him giving him a big sloppy kiss. The husky boy calmed down continuing to speak. "We figure the bones belonged to Vikings who got lost in the bog and died. Perhaps a Bone Knapper was gathering the skeletons, but we can't be sure. It was still creepy."

"Johann we're sorry, but we couldn't salvage your ship. It was in a million pieces. We'll have Pine and Fir carve you a new one. Maybe the Deaths trio can help with the pitch. The important thing is we recovered the treasure," Nissa explained. Hiccup was clutching the chest tightly. "Go on Hiccup we've got this. Your father is expecting you. Go see what your mom left you." Hiccup shook his head and opened the chest in front of all of them. His eyes widened as he gently took out a stuffed dragon toy, his hands trembling. "Hiccup?"

"My mother made this for me when I was a baby. I was terrified of it! I threw it in the ocean one day just to be rid of it. How did you?"

"A fisherman traded it to me for some new nets. I recognized your name and contacted your father. He told me to bring it back as quickly as possible."

"Thank you for returning this to me. I'm glad to have a piece of my mother back."

* * *

It was a few days later and the group was out searching for a missing boat. Nissa was enjoying a chance to stretch her wings and was doing tricks to help pass the time as they searched. The riders were hyper vigilant for signs of danger. Gobber had surprisingly been unable to figure out where the mysterious boat had come from leaving the group on edge. Stoick had been hesitant to send them out, but they were the best riders so they had to go.

_"So far we haven't seen any signs of the missing boat. For that matter neither have we seen signs of anyone following us. Maybe it was just a one time thing?" _Nissa voiced out loud.

"We should be that lucky right? Something tells me that we still have reason for concern. Hey bud how are you holding up?"

_"I'm doing okay for now Hiccup don't worry about me. Concentrate on finding that missing boat as quickly as possible. I smell a storm coming this way." _

_ "Toothless is right, judging by the smell and the way the clouds are starting to gather its going to be a big one. We'd be safer back on Berk then the open ocean when it hits," _ Meatlug added. She sensed how nervous her rider was and tried her best to comfort him which wasn't easy during mid flight.

The group redoubled their search efforts hoping to find their quarry as quickly as possible. The winds starting picking up getting stronger by the second. The ocean waves started to get higher and higher. They could hear the sound of distant thunder and a crash of lightning nearly knocked Hookfang out of the sky. This was getting to dangerous. They needed to turn back now before one of them got hurt.

Hiccup was about to give the order to turn around when out of nowhere a burst of lightning nearly hit him. As he dodged out of the way Toothless accidentally collided with Nissa. The female Daypeace started spiraling down towards the ocean. As she struggled to regain control her tail blade slapped Fishlegs off his dragon. Meatlug plummeted after her rider. The others were rushing to help only to freeze in midair. A giant waterspout had formed in the middle of the ocean. Its raging combination of water and wind caused sever turbulence. The downed trio tried to fly up and around the waterspout only to get caught in the edge. Their friends could only watch helplessly as they were spun around, bashing into flying rocks and creatures, being carried away by the spout as it continued on its destructive path.

"We have to go after them!"

"Don't be stupid Astrid, if we try to help them we'll only get sucked in the funnel too. Our best chance is to return to Berk to get help."

"Snotlout's right, the more dragon riders searching the easier it will be to find them."

"Besides Thornado knows these waters better than anyone. If anyone can find our friends its him." Reluctantly the riders retreated flying back home at top speeds praying to Odin that their friends weren't dead.

At the moment the trio was being tossed around fighting for their lives. Fishlegs had already lost his helmet and the sharp blades of water had tore about his shirt. The winds were spinning Meatlug around and around like a top nearly forcing her wings out of their sockets as she struggled to stay in the air. The husky Viking eyes were searching Hiccup and Nissa, but couldn't spot them anywhere. "THIS IS REALLY BAD! HICCUP! NISSA! WHERE ARE YOU TWO?"

"FISHLEGS, WE NEED TO FLY INTO THE EYE OF THE WATERSPOUT IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT OUT OF THIS ALIVE!" Hiccup shouted at his friend. The duo was fighting against the air flow trying to get to their friend. A few feet below a nearly exhausted Nissa was calling on her reserve strength trying to push through the wall of water and wind to get to the center. Her scales were being ripped off her body causing blood to trickle down her flank.

_"The wall of the storm is too strong! I can't push through it!" _

"KEEP TRYING! IF WE DON'T REACH THE EYE WE'RE DOOMED!" Hiccup urged his friend towards the eye when all of sudden a large piece of underwater rock shot straight through the false tail fin ripping it to shreds. Unable to control his flight Toothless started going down. Nissa looped around ready to go after them only to be hit on the head by more flying rocks losing consciousness along with Fishlegs and Meatlug who met the same fate. As blackness started to shroud the teen's vision he prayed they make out of this alive.

What felt like hours later the group slowly winced as they forced their eyes opened. Their bodies covered in bruises and their clothes were damp with sea water having been partly dried by a fire started by Toothless. His tail fin was gone and the connecting rod on the saddle had snapped in half. Meatlug's right wing was hanging on a twisted angle, having been pulled out its socket. Nissa had reverted to her human form with a multitude of raw skin patches where her scales had ripped off. Her body was having trouble healing itself.

"Thank Odin we're alive! I'm so glad that we aren't in Valhalla! Ow, must not move arms."

"The question is where are we? That waterspout could have sent us miles in any direction. This island seems pretty familiar to me, but I can't quite place it. There are so many dead and deserted islands in the archipelago. Toothless, oh man your tail!"

_"It's not as bad as it looks. Meatlug has it worse. Her wing is broken."_

_ "Not... broken... just pulled out the socket. I think it's severely sprained. I'm not sure if I'll be able to fly off this island." _ The female Gronkle was trying to hold back tears of pain. Her injury was severely hurting her. They needed to pop the wing back in place before it got any worse. Struggling to her feet Nissa managed to make her way over and exam the injury. The bone hadn't snapped thankfully. With Fishlegs help they managed to rotate the wing gently and pop it back into place without too much trouble, though the Gronkle did roar the entire time. Nissa tried to smear blood on the injury to heal it, but it wasn't working.

"Something is interfering with my blood's healing properties. I feel so weak and tired."

"We were just tossed about by a storm and spent who knows how long in the water. Maybe you just need a chance to recover?"

"It's more than that. I'm having difficulty using all my powers. I can't even partially manifest right now. Something on this island is causing problems." Nissa was trembling and her face was losing color. Hiccup, who had miraculously held on to his satchel, gave her the last of their food and water. She stopped trembling and her color was starting to return. She sat down on the cold, hard, barren rock catching her breath. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you know what could be causing your problems? Maybe there's some Blue Orilander on the island making you sick."

_"This island is too barren to support the flower. Besides if that was the case we'd be sick too."_

"I read in a book somewhere that creatures of dual nature are susceptible to poisons to both sides of them or resistant sometimes depending on the circumstances. For instances some shape shifters are allergic to plants that normally wouldn't affect humans. With Nissa unique nature maybe something that is harmless to us is causing problems for her. Are you aware of any plants, foods, or minerals that could cause this?"

"In my studies... to becoming heir... to Xanadu's throne... my tutor Keto gave me a book about the effects of different gems and plants. In it.. it mentioned a stone that has unusual effects on us. Its called galena. The stone is silvery gray and is normally used in spiritual transformation or to fight off deadly infections, radiation, and addictions. Normally this earth stone of power can help increase the strength, courage, and perseverance of an individual, but it seems to have a negating effect on me. There might be deposits of this gem on the island."

Before the boys could respond they heard shouting and men approaching. Quickly extinguishing their fire they all hid behind some rocks. Peeking through a hole in one their blood ran cold as they saw Savage leading a group of Outsiders on a hunt for dragons to take back. Fishlegs let out a squeal of surprise. Savage heard it and marched over poking his sword through the holes and walking around examining the barren rock for clues to the sound. The trio had barely managed to slip out of the way racing as far away from him as possible. They needed to fix Toothless's tail and get out of here pronto.

The group had managed to put some distance between them and Savage as they made their way through the twisting gorge and passed rows of barren trees. It was nighttime, but it seemed even darker and grayer then normal with no hint at all of the stars and moon. The only sounds they heard were the distant roaring of wild dragons. The group climbed onto a small dip to rest. Nissa's color had returned and she didn't feel as weak as before. She still couldn't access her full powers, but at least she felt better.

"We've put some distance between us and the galena. If we can get a bit farther from it I think I'll be able to manifest," Nissa said to the boys. She was about to ask Hiccup if he had a plan when she paused. Turning her head around she stared at the trail behind them. She could have sworn she had seen someone behind them. Chalking it up to paranoia she turned her attention to Fishlegs who was babbling in fear.

"We're going to die no question about it. Outcast island is the most dangerous place in the Archipelago. Not only is it crawling with blood thirsty Outcasts the dragons here are completely feral! They'd sooner eat us then listen to us. Oh and lets not forgot how deadly the floral is here. What are we going to do for food and water? We can't very well sneak into the village for some. We'll be captured for sure! With our dragons out of commission and Nissa unable to manifest we have no way off this island. There isn't enough material for a large and study enough raft to sail off this island. We might as well just turn ourselves over and..." Fishlegs rantings came to a stop as Nissa slapped him hard across the face leaving a red impression.

"Would you kindly stop your nonsense babbling and shut up already? For Helios sake; your suppose to be braver than this! When I flamed you with my yellow attribute changer your courage and confidence seemed to increase by ten folds so where is it now? We've been in worse situations than this coming out of them alive. Meatlug isn't worried and neither should you."

_"Nissa is right Fishlegs, my wing is injured, but that doesn't mean I won't push myself to get off this island. I know your scared now, but we need to draw on our inner strength if we are to survive. Hopefully I can convince the dragons on this island to leave us in peace long enough for Hiccup to construct a new tail for Toothless. How long would that take?" _

Hiccup, who had been busy attaching the temporary tail fin to Toothless, responded with a slightly defeated tone of voice. "Depends if I can make a new connector rod. This tail fin will hold out until we reach Berk though that doesn't matter unless we find a way to make a new rod. We're going to have to risk getting inside the forge to shape a new one, but to get there we have to pass through a wild dragon pack. Not sure how they'll respond to our presence."

_"We don't have any choice. I can hear Savage and the other Outcasts making their way towards us. If we don't move they'll find us for sure," _Toothless commented, his ears twitching back and forth. With no other options the humans climbed onto their dragons to avoid leaving tracks as they hurried towards the village.

They had gotten halfway to the forge when a pack of wild Gronkles surrounded the group. Meatlug and Toothless bared their teeth hissing at the group. Hiccup held up his hands to show them they meant no harm. "It's okay we're not here to hurt you. We're friends with dragons really."

The leader of the pack, a large blue scaled beast with a green underbelly, growled firing a lava blast at them. Meatlug intercepted the blast devouring it and then tossing it back causing the leader to fly up to avoid it. The other members of the back tightened the circle getting closer and closer. _"Lies, humans always lie! You're exactly like the monsters on this island. You want to hunt us down to imprison us in their metal cage of death! We refuse to be broken like that poor Gronkle slave you have."_

_ "I'm no ones slave; Fishlegs is my partner and friend! He would never harm a dragon, none of them would."_

_ "As if we'd take the word of a defeated dragon. You're so delusional it's not even funny. Take them!" _

"Not good, not good at all. There must be someway to convince them we don't mean any harm. Oh, I wish I had the courage of a dragon right now," Fishlegs muttered, one hand on the saddle and the other around his topaz necklace. The gem glowed brightly. Unbeknownst to anyone the essences of Meatlug's courage flowed into the pudgy teen giving him exactly what he asked for. With a rush of courage he order Meatlug to pounce on the leader. She obeyed him leaping on the back of her fellow Gronkles sending them sprawling in all directions.

The pack leader saw her coming and starting shooting at her only for her to dodge. Even with an injured wing she managed to connect bringing him down from the sky. She used her large girth to pin him scratching him on the face. With her teeth barred she let her human roughly grab the other dragon's ears forcing him to listen. "I'm only going to say this once. We are not the enemy. I love dragons, especially Gronkles. My friends and I don't want any problems. We only want access to the village so we can get materials to escape from here and go back home."

"He's right, the people of Berk have made peace with the dragons. They'd never harm any of them; in fact the chief there risked his life to save them once."

"If you let us pass we won't bother you again." The dragons listened detecting no falsehood in their statements. Grudgingly they let them pass. Thanking the Gronkles for their hospitality they made their way closer to the forge. Finally they reached a cliff face a few feet from their destination. Using Hiccup's spyglass they observed the activity below them trying to formulate a plan. After half an hour they came up with one though there were many objections on all sides.

"This is highly dangerous, we don't even know if they'll cooperate with us," Fishlegs pointed out as he mounted Meatlug. He was supposed to convince the Gronkles to launch an attack on the Outcast village drawing their forces away from the forge so Hiccup could slip and make the new rod. Nissa and Toothless would be standing guard if they saw anyone they were suppose to lead them away then double back to the beach where they'd make their escape. It wasn't a fool proof plan, but it was all they had.

"We're out of options Fishlegs, this may be our only chance. Do it." The group dispersed heading for their destinations praying to their Gods this would work. At first everything started out fine. Apparently the Gronkles were itching for revenge and enjoyed a chance to blow up part of the village. Most of the Outcasts rushed to save their village including the blacksmith. Hiccup hurried inside getting to work knowing there wasn't much time.

Things were going fine until Savage and his party appeared. Spotting someone in the forge he was making his way there when Toothless fired a plasma blast. "A Nightfury! Go after it! The person who brings it back alive gets a reward from Alvin!" The men shouted, waving their axes and swords going after the Nightfury, unable to see the girl on his back.

"We need to split up and get back to Toothless. You lead them to the right I'll go left. We'll meet back at the forge and head to the beach. Be careful!" Nissa warned as she jumped off and raced away. She could hear the men chasing her, their footfalls getting closer. Her enhanced reflexes saved her as she ducked under a few thrown axes. Coming to a dead end she started to climb, but the rock broke and she fell rolling underneath a shelf. Curling up small she closed her eyes hoping no one would see her.

Her heartbeat was so loud she thought someone would hear it. She breathed in shallow deep breaths straining her ears for some sign. The footfalls were right on top of her searching. It was only moments before she was found. Just before someone searched she heard sounds of struggle and the overwhelming scent of fresh blood filled her nostrils. She waited until the slaughter stopped. Counting to ten she wiggled out from her hiding spot to a horror show. The men who had chased her were dismembered and lying pools of blood. The stench was overwhelming. She turned to run away only to bump into Savage. "Well what do we have here? You're quite a blood thirsty child aren't you?"

"I didn't kill those men! I wouldn't do that! Ahhhhhh!" she let out a scream as the man twisted her arms behind her. He tied her hands behind her and started pushing her down the path.

"It doesn't matter if you did or didn't. You and your friend Hiccup are going to make nice birthday gifts for Alvin. He might have some use for you," Savage hinted, his feral grin letting her know what he wanted from her. Disgusted she reached out with her bond calling for Hiccup. His own fear was intermingling with hers. He'd been captured too and now they were being dragged off to meet with Alvin. This wasn't good.

As the two teen were literally being dragged off Toothless met up with Fishlegs and Meatlug. The Gronkle pack agreed to help rescue the teens. They had only just gotten into position when someone from the shadows fired a crossbow impaling two of the Outcasts and cutting the ropes. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth Toothless caused an avalanche separating the two parties. The Gronkle pack scooped up rocks, dodging bolas as they lobbed their fire balls nearly taking Alvin's head off. Down below a recovered Nissa managed to use her tai chi to hold off the Outcasts long enough so Hiccup could finish the repairs. With a burst of speed the trio left leaving behind an angry Alvin, clutching a torn piece of cloth.

As soon as they were miles from the island Nissa jumped off Toothless manifesting her dragon form smiling as her transformation took place. It felt good to stretch her wings and be away from the galena. "_I can't believe we managed to escape from Outcast Island! That's nearly impossible!" _

_ "Just goes to show you how a little teamwork can go a long way."_

_ "That and luck Toothless. Someone was on that island was looking out for us. How else do you explain the dead Outcasts and the crossbow fire that saved Hiccup and Nissa?" _

_ "That's what worries me the most. What length would someone go to deliberately make an enemy with the Outcasts to help us?" _

"Something tells me we won't like the answer one bit."

* * *

It was a few days later on Berk and the riders were helping Steinar out at the school with the children. The little ones were experiencing some troubles with the Terror partners. Many of the Terrors were starting to act up in their friend's home and had stopped listening to their kids. Today's lesson was all about how to communicate better with their dragon friend and be respectful of one another personal space.

"Dragons are all about respect; you need to respect them, their space, and their opinions when working together. Dragons are pack creatures especially Terrors. Because of their small size they depend on group numbers in order to survive. Bigger dragons form packs when they need to defend a territory or if they're hunting together. There is a hierarchy in a pack with an alpha, beta, and then the rest of them. With dragons and riders you both have to be willing to share alpha status to succeed," Hiccup lectured to the starry eyed kids. The kids were all whispering among themselves as they tried to inch closer to the rider to touch him. Many held their squirming Terrors causing them to wail and bite, some even trying to spit up fire.

"Alright children that is enough if you keep holding your friends like that your going to hurt them. I suggest we move this lesson outside. Astrid and Stormfly are going to give us a demonstration on how to share alpha status. Remember children it's all about respect and kindness."

"Yes Teacher Steinar!"

"Don't think you Terrors are off the hook either. You need to be willing to work with your kids putting up with their antics and their behavior. Think of them as hatchlings learning their place in the pack. Be willing to teach them how you want to be treated and how to have fun," Nissa reminded them gently ignoring the mutterings of the little guys. Everyone marched outside to watch as Astrid and Stormfly flew down to meet the group. The children cheered as they watched her effectively command her dragon. They landed in front of the children Stormfly preening and showing off her beauty as Astrid slid off her giving her hugs and pats.

"Stormfly good girl, good girl. Alright as you know you need to be respectful of your dragon's individual personalities. Because you are still learning how to understand and speak Dragonese you'll need to figure out other ways to understand what is going on their minds. You need to pick up on the body language and social cues. For example, when I couldn't understand what Stormfly was saying I judged her mood based on her actions and responses to my voice. It takes time and patience, but you can learn to work with your dragon becoming the best of friends. Isn't that right girl?"

_"Of course it is Astrid? Why don't we show them how we work as one?" _

Astrid nodded fingering her sapphire necklace not noticing how it glowed blue creating the same effect in her dragon's eyes. Mounting Stormfly the two took off high into the sky their minds as one. The duo didn't seem aware as they did loops, fired at targets or when Astrid did back flips that they were reading each other thoughts. The children cheered happily as they watched Astrid jump off her dragon only for Stormfly to catch her and bring her gently to the ground. "Do you think you kids can learn to do that?"

"Yeah!" "Can't wait!" "Fang and I are going to be the first ones to talk to each other!" The children were easily excited and couldn't wait to start practicing what they had learned. They were about to divide up into groups to practice sharing status when a small blur rushed passed them knocking over Hiccup.

_"Hiccup we've got an emergency!" _Lumina shrieked. The little Skrill was visibly shaking and her tar covered eyes were starting to streak. She had tiny cuts on her legs and was babbling incoherently.

"Slow down, what is going on Lumina? I thought you and Gothi had gone into the forest to get new herbs for making medicines. What happened and where is she?"

_"Gothi and I were picking herbs when the Fireworm dragons attacked us in hordes. They were burning everything in their path as they wiggled after us. I managed to fight most of them off, but Gothi got slightly burned. Orli heard the commotion and dispersed the group. She brought Gothi back while I stayed behind to find out what was the matter with the Fireworms. They were ranting and raving about how their cave was starting to flood. They said that something big and deadly was trying to eat them so they managed to crawl away. Whisp, Murmur, and Hiss tunneled inside the cave trying to drain the water, but ended up being attacked by something leaving gaping wounds in their hide. You and the other riders need to come quickly before it gets out of hand any further!" _ Lumina begged not realizing she was clawing Hiccup's vest.

"Lumina go keep an eye on Gothi. Steinar, can you inform my father what's going on? Toothless call for Orli, we're heading into the forest to find out what is going on now."

"Yeah time for some mayhem!"

"We'll show that intrusive dragon whose boss!"

When they got to the part of the forest where the Fireworms made their home the sight before them stunned everyone. A large portion of seawater was flooding the area. They could see a canal where the water was rushing in from. The Fireworm dragons were stranded on tiny island in the midst of the water aflame screaming in terror. The three Whispering Deaths were the air covering one another as they fought against angry Scaldrun. The sea dragon was shooting deadly boiling water stripping the Deaths of their scales. One blast hit Hiss in his vulnerable eyes! The Death screeched in pain flying off to heal from his wounds. The other two dragons went after the intruder only to be nearly impaled by its horn.

"Unbelievable, what's a Scaldrun doing so far inland? Why did it flood the forest? What could it be possibly looking for?"

"Well they do eat Blue Oleander along with fish, turtles, and other sea life. This one might have come searching for some if it thought there was some to eat here."

"No way, that's the same dragon that bit Mildew? How did it find its way here?"

"Who cares how it came here we have to get it to leave."

"Right we need a plan. Okay, Snotlout you and Hookfang rescue the Fireworms. Get them as far from here as possible and be careful of their skin! Ruff, Tuff, you and Barf and Belch help the Deaths out. Fishlegs and Meatlug try to cut a path back towards the ocean to get rid of this water. Astrid, Nissa, and I will try to deal with the Scaldrun. Hopefully Orli will show up to help out. Let's go people!"

The dragons split up narrowly dodging the attacks from the Scaldrun. The beast was staying in the water for now, but if it took off into the air it would be a whole other story. The Scaldrun stretched out its long neck managing to bite on Whisp's tail. The Death struggled trying to break free as he was pulled towards the water. Murmor flew down to help only to be smacked in the head by the sea dragon's tail fin. Several teeth fell into the water as the Death tried to get his head on straight. Whisp felt his tail snap off as he finally managed to break free. The Scaldrun bellowed raising one forearm to slash the Death wide open when a small explosion caused it to fall backwards into the water.

"Yeah take that you overgrown sea snake! We don't let anyone mess with our friends!" Ruffnut shouted in delight. Her eyes widened in fear as the Scaldrun tried to bite into Barf's neck to inject poison, but the Twins flew up and out of the way. Tuffnut spotted the trail of blood leaking out from Whisp's severed tail. It looked quite painful and the dragon was having a difficult time staying in the air.

"Belch, get close and spark on Whisp's tail. You have to cauterized the wound or he's going to bleed out."

_"Get me closer and I'll see what I can do. Whisp you have to calm down or I can't help you! Hey watch it I'm not the enemy here!"_

_ "My tail, my beautiful tail is half gone! How am I suppose to live without it? What if it doesn't grow back?" _The Whispering Death wailed. He was so upset he didn't realize he was about to crash into a tree. His sensitive eyes were half blinded by the sun so he was unable to dodge. Thinking quickly the Zippleback managed to tackle him away from the tree. Murmur had finally regained his senses flying over and holding his friend in his talons still long enough for Belch to spark on the tail. At the same time Barf was spewing cloud cover to keep them hidden. Neither Twin noticed that their necklaces were starting to glow and they were linked with the dragon's senses.

While this was going on the others were doing their best to carry out there orders. Snotlout was hollering in slight pain as he managed to scoop up the last of the Fireworms into his helmet, ignoring the blisters forming on his hands. Hookfang was also muttering in pain as he had to light himself on a low level fire to avoid having his scales burned off. Fishlegs and Meatlug were dodging about and doing a pretty decent doggy paddle in the flooded area. Meatlug was doing her very best to carve a channel for the water to drain out, but kept having to spit out the sea water. It tasty nasty to her.

"Hold on girl, just a bit more. You can do it ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Fishlegs screamed as the Scaldrun got ready to swallow them. Tail spikes shot from Stormfly drew the Scaldrun's attention back to the other three along with a plasma blast from Toothless.

"Hey, eyes on us dragon! We're your targets not him!" Astrid shouted.

_"Where is it? Where is my food? I know there are fields of Blue Orilanders on this island! I smelled them! Give them to me!" _

_ "Back off sea slug!"_ Toothless shouted hovering in the air firing more plasma shots. He dodged about avoiding streams of deadly water. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nissa land on the Scaldrun's back reverting to her human form. She held on for dear life as she struggled to connect with her Dragon Heart. The beasts thrashing and chaotic thoughts were making forming a bond extremely difficult for her.

"Steady bud, steady. Please hear me out Scaldrun; there are no flowers here not anymore! There to deadly for our friends. I'm sorry we don't have fresh flowers for you, but we have fish if you want that."

_"Lies! If this is a dragon's paradise then I know my flowers are here. If there not then I'll take down this entire forest searching for them!" _the Scaldrun shouted in anger. His massive forearms smacked the air managing to connect with Toothless. The Nightfury was going down when a furious cry filled the air. At super speed Orli flew straight at the Scaldrun blasting him with a mega plasma shot before catching her mate in her talons pulling him back into the air.

_"Someone needs to lay off the cod, wake up Toothless!"_

_ "I'm up female let me fly! Nissa, we need you to get that Scaldrun out of here now!" _

"In case...its...not obvious I'm doing my best here! That's enough out of you! Calm down right now!" Nissa growled. She had climbed the beast's neck placing her hands directly on his head. Pouring her emotions into the Scaldrun via her Dragon Heart she pushed for control. The sea dragon struggled trying to lilt her off, but the young royal held on. Even as the beast dove under water trying to drown her she refused to let go using her gifts to form a bond with him. As they broke the surface the dragon finally stopped thrashing, its eyes dull and his body limp.

"It's okay its okay. I'm sorry, but there are no flowers here. You need to return to the open ocean where you have enough food and space. That's right no ones angry with you. Go on return home," Nissa told him gently. The Scaldrun left for the open ocean through the new channel as the water drained. The group landed to talk about finding the Fireworms a new home. As they talked Hiccup noticed a single blue flower. Someone had deliberately lead that dragon here, but for what purpose?

* * *

On Berserker Island the deranged teen chief was having a temper tantrum throwing knives and screaming at his men on how useless they were. So far they had messed up by losing a boat, nearly getting caught on Outcast Island after killing those men, and worst of all they practically drowned when he ordered them to create crises to learn more about his targets. He only avoided killing them because he gained a bit of insight, but it wasn't enough. He needed push his source on Berk for more information if he was going to claim his prizes.


	3. Conspiracy Uncovered

The sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew through the air. The island of Berk was a bustle of activity as both humans and dragons worked together to bring out the best of the village. The sounds of hammers pounding, wood being cut and the smell of melted metal filled the air. The dragons were rushing about fixing roofs, setting up banners, and improving their shelters all over the island. The children were helping their mothers clean the houses and prepare meals as the men came back with their fish and wild game from their hunts. Everyone was excited and super happy as they prepared for tomorrow, the day when the Daypeace trading party arrived. They would be here for a few days. It was a chance for both groups to share in their bounties and to renew the bonds of friendship.

Inside the Daypeace's house Nissa and her guardians were also preparing for tomorrow. They had received word through the magic mirror that Queen Rayna herself would be joining the trading party. It was highly unusual for the queen be part of a simple trading party however, in the interests of renewing friendships and checking on Nissa's progress, it would be prudent for her to be there. To that end the group had finished setting up another bed and had prepared the Queen's favorite meal with the last of their food from Xanadu. Ula was composing reports for the Queen to read. Steinar was going over the security precautions not wanting to risk the safety of the queen during her visit.

Nissa was up in her room rearranging her books to calm herself down. She was extremely nervous about seeing her aunt after nearly five months being away from Xanadu. She had grown as both a princess and an individual during her time on Berk. She was much more confident in her abilities and could take charge in a crises. Her dragon abilities were more powerful as well nearly on par with Orli or Toothless. Still she had concerns, she hadn't made as much progress as she hoped with her mission. Learning about the tribes and dragons in the archipelago was not an easy task, but trying to bring peace and knowledge to groups who favored bloodshed over wisdom wasn't easy. The feeling that she had failed her aunt in some way was a bit more then she could bear.

"Tomorrow Aunt Rayna will be here and I have little to show for my efforts. What if she's disappointed in me? How can I face her if I've let her down again? Oh, tomorrow's going to be a complete disaster!" Nissa muttered to herself, her hands wrapped around her amethysts necklace hoping it would comfort her. The gem warmth spread through her hand, but failed to ease her anxiety. She wish she could calm down, but her thoughts kept circling sending her into a frenzy.

_"You need to relax; your aunt won't reject you ever again. She's changed like you have. There is nothing to worry about," _Hiccup's voice whispered in her mind. The strength of their bond had grown as well as they could now communicate short sentences along with memories and emotions through the bond. In fact sometimes they could almost see what the other was seeing. It was slightly unusual considering their bond was more sibling like then romantic. Nissa had a feeling that the magical gemstone necklace were the reason behind her sudden power boost. She was aware of her friends also having power boosts from their necklaces. The mysterious powers inside them had yet to be fully explained and she hoped her aunt would be able to shed some light on the situation.

She heard a light thud on the roof announcing the arrival of a dragon on her roof. Make that two and a rider by the sounds of things. Smiling she pulled herself out the window and up on to the roof. Orli and Toothless were sitting side by side grooming each other while Hiccup slide down the roof towards her. "You know you could have just used the door, that's what it's there for."

"I know, but the roof was more convenient seeing as these two were in the middle of attempting to chase each other in a mock mating flight a few minutes ago. I felt your uneasiness and decided to stop by. How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling Hiccup? Tomorrow's an important day for everyone especially me. My aunt let me come live here so I could help bring peace and knowledge to the people of this archipelago. To ensure the peace between our cousins and the humans remained strong and true. What do I have to show for it?" Nissa asked him. The two friends settled down next to each other on the roof looking at the village below. Everyone was bustling about even their friends with their families. In the distance on the Dragon Outcropping they could just make out the dragons finish their own preparations.

"Seems to me you have a lot to be proud of here. The people of Berk and the dragons are closer then ever. The next generation will be the smartest warriors as well. You've completed a dangerous quest, not to mention you managed to use your diplomacy skills to keep Dagur from waging war on us. I think you have a lot to be proud of here."

"I know and I'm really proud of myself for all I've accomplished, but what if it's not enough?"

_"It will be Nissa. I may not have been present on Xanadu when the crisis happened, but this I do know. Your aunt loves you and is proud of you. She will accept you and what you've done without question. That's what families do," _ Orli whispered nuzzling under her arms and comforting her. She gave a gummy smile reassuring her friend it would be okay. Nissa relaxed and hoped that they were right. She'd find out tomorrow.

The next day Nissa was waiting anxiously with her Honor Guard along with Stoick and Hiccup for the ship to arrive. She kept wringing her hands, sweat was starting to pour down her face. Ula placed a comforting hand on her shoulder giving her a reassuring smile. Steadying her breath she reached out with her bond searching for her aunt. A warm, happy, and loving wave filled her mind. She saw in her mind the sea and the clouds as the boat approached. Looking out she saw two Daypeaces soaring through the air twisting in and out between each other. The sun sparkled off their pink scales making them look extremely majestic. Beneath them was a huge trading ship sailing into the harbor. It was stock piled with cargo and sitting on a throne flanked by the remaining four Honor Guard members was Rayna in all her splendor. Queen Rayna looked pretty much the same from before. He wavy auburn hair had grown longer and lavender highlights sparkled brightly along with her pinkish purple eyes. Her outfit was slightly different; her tunic was dark pink now with golden trim that ended just below her knees. Her top was still plum purple, but her toga was lilac now though still had the same pink draping over it. Her accessories remained the same.

The two Daypeaces in the sky came in for a landing manifesting into Davan and Fia. Queen Rayna disembarked the ship protected by Isak, Rikard, Kariat, and Ywla. On board the ship the crew started taking care of the ships needs and preparing to bring the cargo into town for trading. Rayna swept her niece in a huge hug combing her hair and kissing her on the forehead. "My dear niece let me have a look at you. Oh, I think you've grown another inch while you've been away. Your muscles have become toned. Have you been keeping up your exercise regiment?"

"Of course Aunt Rayna I know how important it is. I get plenty of exercise though training with my friends and going on amazing adventures with them."

Stoick cleared his throat getting their attention. He bowed slightly and held out his hand which Rayna quickly clasped shaking it firmly. "Queen Rayna of Xanadu, it does me great pleasure to welcome you Berk. As you can tell Nissa and her guard have been anxiously awaiting your arrival. I know that tribe is anticipating wonderful items for trade with your people. I trust your journey was well?"

"There were no difficulties on the journey thankfully. The Gateways are functioning within normal parameters making the trip here much easier. I brought several items from our island to personally restock my niece's supplies if you don't mind," Rayna informed him. Stoick shook his head asking if she needed any help with the supplies, but she declined. Speaking in her native tongue she ordered the crew to take the supplies to Nissa's home and then bring the rest into the village square for trading. Once that was taken care of she turned and bowed respectfully to Hiccup. "Hello Hiccup, it's a pleasure to see you once more. You seem to be doing quite well."

"I'm doing better than well; I feel great actually. I have to thank you in roundabout way," he said noticing her confused expression he hurriedly continued. "Thanks to you and your people I've become so much closer to the dragons. My empathy with them has risen to new heights. The traces of Arkin's blood combined with my new prosthetic has made life here easier."

"It's true Aunt Rayna, so much has happened over the last few months. I can't wait to tell you about our adventures over dinner tonight. We also have some questions about magic we wish to ask you about."

"It can wait until later my dear. For now I'd like a tour of this island if you don't mind Stoick. It will take my people a little while to set up for the trading session."

"Of course follow me. You know you're a lot nicer then our last visiting dignitary that for sure. Let me regal you with some of the local history. Now Berk was founded a little over three hundred years ago..." Stoick was saying as he walked back towards the village. Hiccup smiled knowing his dad would probably be going on for hours. Taking Nissa's hand the two of them strolled into the village.

Everyone, human and dragon, was extremely excited as the trading party set up shop. Within an hour the Daypeaces were trading their food, weapons, and bibelots with the tribe. Goods were being swapped and the children were enjoying the new toys and books brought specifically for them. The men and women freely swapped stories with members of the Honor Guard about their travels and quest. The dragons were also busy trading as well with Davan and Fia on their little outcropping. They were very impressed by what they saw going on with their cousins. By the end of the first day of trading everyone was really happy and the feeling of renewed friendship was high.

That night they had a feast in the Great Hall to celebrate the arrival of their guests. It was full course celebration with food and drinks from both cultures. Music was being played and songs were sung. The Daypeaces joined in by dancing with the tribe members and talking with their cousins. Queen Rayna was very surprised to meet Orli and more stunned that she accepted her apology for what had happened. As she listened to the riders' stories she scratched the female's ears. There would be time tomorrow for a proper discussion with the Nightfury representative about making amends. For now she was very interested in what the teens had to say about their magic necklaces and the possibility of someone stalking her niece.

"It was the strangest thing that has happened to me. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with Hookfang so I asked the necklace for help and suddenly we're sharing senses. My mind was totally blown away."

"Something similar happened to me on Outcast Island. Instead of my physical senses changing it felt almost as if Meatlug lent me some of her courageous spirit."

"That's nothing compared to what happened to me. Remember that demonstration I gave the kids? The entire time I felt like Stormfly and I were sharing our minds."

Queen Rayna hummed slightly upon hearing about the incidents. She held out her hand and they gave her their necklaces for her to exam. She rubbed her hands over the gems muttering spells in her native tongue judging the responses. After she finished she gave the necklaces back before placing her hands on the dragons' heads. She seemed to be using her Dragon Heart abilities to see the past and test a theory. Smiling she turned to look at the riders and an anxious Stoick and Gobber with an answer to their inquiries. "The gem necklaces you received from the trolls contain ancient and powerful magic. The gift of being able to become one with your dragon is a great power and one that needs to be used with care. From what I have been able to sense, the magic inside allows you to link with the body, mind, and spirit of your dragon at a given time though you may only share one of these attributes at a time."

"Cool! I love the thought of sharing my brain with Belch."

"What brain would that be?" The Twins started to fight only for Hiccup to break it up between them. He could tell Rayna had more to say on the matter. She nodded graciously at him before continuing.

"The magical potential inside these gems is unknown. Around the world there are tales of dragons with mystical powers along with gifted humans can unlock those abilities as well given time . The power inside these necklaces has brought out the best parts of each of you with room for great personal growth. I have no doubt in time you'll each be able to unlock a unique power; one that serves both you and your dragon. For what that power is and how it will affect you I'm not entirely certain. What I do know is that it will take time and patience to develop."

The information of growing more powerful delighted the teens. They wanted to press Queen Rayna for more information, but the Queen was now engaged in a private discussion with Stoick about the disturbing possibility of someone stalking her niece. She wanted to know what was being done about it and if any precautions were in place. Stoick assured her that they were doing everything possible to determine the truth of the situation.

Much later Queen Rayna was preparing to tuck in for the night. The Honor Guard members had been stationed all around the house or patrolling the island in human form to ensure her safety. Steinar and Ula had wanted to join them, but the Queen insisted they get some sleep. As she was about to lay down she heard her niece's footfalls entering the room. "Nissa, it's very late my dear. Surely whatever you have to discuss can wait until tomorrow."

"I fear if I have to wait until tomorrow to learn if you're proud of me I'll explode. Aunt Rayna I know you must be disappointed in my lack of progress with my mission, but please don't send me home. I'm having such a good time here and I know I can complete my mission..." Nissa's rants stopped when Queen Rayna covered her niece's mouth. Though tired she seem to understand the girl's need for assurance.

"Nissa, we have much to discuss about your mission, but it can wait until morning. I have a full day scheduled for tomorrow including a meeting with Stoick to discuss how to improve our alliance as well a discussion with Orli on how to make restitution to the Nightfuries. The two of can finish this conversation over a private dinner. Until then know I am proud of you and wouldn't take you away from your friends. Now go to sleep."

The next day everything seemed normal, but there was a chill in the air and storm clouds were on the horizon. Something ominous was going to happen that day for certain. Exactly what no one knew for certain. The morning started out normally enough; the children went to school, the adults continued their trades or helped out with their chores. Queen Rayna and Chief Stoick had commandeered the Great Hall for their private meeting joined by a few privileged members. The teens were at the Academy practicing to unlock their full potential with their necklaces. It was extremely hard work and they were getting frustrated. After nearly two hours of practice they had nothing to show for their efforts.

"This is impossible! We can't even fuse with our dragons unless the situation is life or death. How are we ever going to unlock our full potential?" Astrid uncharacteristically whined. She was use to being good at everything and wasn't happy that this wasn't coming as easily.

_"Don't be so negative Astrid; it will take a little time, but I'm sure the two of us will be able to figure it out soon enough."_

"Stormfly's right Astrid you just need to relax. All good things come in time so don't worry about it," Hiccup told his girlfriend gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You know what I think we could all use a break. I'm going to go get some fruit for us to eat. I'll be back in a little bit," Nissa told them already half way out the door. She was rushing back to her home eager to get the fruit when a sense of uneasiness filled her. She stopped in her tracks opening up her senses trying to pinpoint the cause of her uneasiness. She was taking a short cut through the forest on her way back to town and she didn't see or hear anything. Dismissing her fears she started walking again only to her a twig snap. Whirling around she got ready to manifest when something cracked her skull. She slumped to the ground unconscious unaware of her body being dragged roughly across the earth.

Sometime later she started to regain consciousness. Her head was pounding as if there was a whole percussion section in her brain. She tried to stand up only to find herself tightly bound with ropes lacerating her skin. There was a gag in her mouth and her eyes were partly covered thanks to her blindfold slipping. She had cuts and bruises all over body and her clothes had been torn. She heard the sounds of footsteps approaching and what sounded like nails clacking on a wooden floor. Before she could figure out what it meant she let out a suppressed scream as something sharp stabbed her in the side! Blood started pooling out of her body as she was roughly tossed into a wall. Something rammed into her chest knocking the wind out of her, but at the same time getting rid of the blindfold. Her eyes narrowed as she saw exactly who had stabbed her.

"So the abomination princess is awake. Don't bother trying to use your freaky "Dragon Heart" to call for help. I've been studying up on ways to block magical abilities. I've got iron and runes cast all over the place. The poison on that dagger I stabbed you with should be eating its way through you now making it impossible for you to manifest your dragon form, not that I'd allow it," Mildew sneered as he reached over yanking her amethysts necklace right off nearly tearing apart her regular one with it. The old man let out a holler as the gem burned him causing him to drop the necklace. Fungus bleated kicking the trinket far away from the girl before turning around and biting her for harming his master.

"Careful Fungus; I wouldn't want you to accidentally be poisoned yourself. Glare at me all you want girl it won't do you any good. Once your dead I'll leave your body to be found somewhere in the woods. Your monstrous people will go to war with Berk over it and lose miserably. Not to mention your precious Hiccup will lose his mind and without him the dragons will soon be gone as well, leaving Berk defenseless and wide open to attack from our enemies. Once I update them on the situation of course," Mildew explained sneering at the girl. He kicked her in the face, chest, and legs causing her to scream again.

Nissa tried to get away, but the poison was slowly zapping her strength. Conserving her strength she tried to speak through the gag demanding to know why he would betray his tribe in such a manner. Her attempts to speak amused the old man so he decided to give her a verisimilitude. "Vikings have been killing those beastly dragons for centuries. They're all disgusting, savage, dangerous monsters that should be made extinct! I proudly served Berk defending its shores from the beasts only to betrayed when that whelp decided he was incapable of killing a downed dragon! That boy has ruined this tribe with his ideas of peaceful coexistence. We're Vikings! We're suppose to be great warriors and conquerors of those who are weak and to stupid to defend themselves! This tribe has gotten weak with you preaching education, peace, and trying to corrupt us with your barbaric nature. Your arrogance on your superiority is sickening. Well the time has come for someone to do something about it and I'm just the man to do it! Fungus, keep an eye on her and if she tries to escape or call for help beat her up. I have some messages to be sent." The man turned around heading into the next room to write his messages. The squawking of his messenger birds was music to his ears.

Sweat was pouring down the injured girl's face as her body was racked in pain. Her blood loss had slowed a bit not that it matter with the poison getting closer to her heart. If she didn't figure out something soon she would be dead and a war would break out. She needed to get help somehow. She tried to inch for the door only for the stupid sheep to headbutt her. He baaed menacingly at her daring her to try that again. Knowing escape was impossible she looked around through blurry eyes to see if she could find a way to get free. She noticed a discarded knife on the floor near the fireplace with the protective runes partially wiped out with the soot. Eying the sheep and old man she subtly fainted on top of the stonework securing the knife and wiping out the rest of the runes. As she started to cut her ropes she reached out with her Dragon Heart yelling for help.

Queen Rayna and Chief Stoick were just finishing up their meeting at this time. They had discussed when the next trading party would arrive and what kind of security there was for Nissa among other things. Queen Rayna and her Honor Guard were going to have a quick lunch before meeting with Orli when the doors to the Great Hall were flung open and panic faced Hiccup rode in on Toothless with Orli zooming in after him. Both adults could feel the boy's worry washing over them in a tidal wave.

"Son, what's wrong?"

"Nissa's missing! She left to get us snacks and never returned. She's been gone for almost an hour now. She wasn't in her house and no one in the village seen her. I can't sense her at all!"

Startled Rayna focused on feeling the familiar bond of warmth and youth only to discover a void. She could feel her connections with the Honor Guard, but not the girl. "I can't feel Nissa either. Something is blocking her Dragon Heart."

"Are you sure she's not..."

"If she was dead I would feel it! She's most likely gravely injured or being held captive somewhere. Stoick you said someone had stalked the teens for a while now. You don't think?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out. Gobber; gather the men and search the forest and shores for any sign of intruders. Hiccup get your friends and the dragons to start searching by air for any sign of her."

"I'll join the Honor Guard in searching the path to the village. Hopefully we'll stumble across something to figure out what happened. By Tyra I hope we find her before something happens to her," Rayna whispered, the fear and worry clearly etched on her face.

Hiccup was very disquieted over the fate of his missing friend. He knew that Nissa was capable of defending herself from danger; if that was the case then why wasn't she responding to his calls. He kept trying to sense her or feel her emotions, but there was nothing. Toothless could feel Hiccup's worry because he wasn't working his tail as efficiently as usual. He was struggling to fly straight. Noticing her mate's troubles Orli flew over to steady him with her own bulk. Giving her a gummy smile Toothless attempted to comfort his rider the best he could while they flew.

Astrid nudged Stormfly closer to Hiccup and Toothless. She reached out to touch his shoulder only for him to shrug her off. The other teens saw this and were worried for their friend. He wasn't one to shy away from his friends. Suddenly Stormfly let out a roar. She had seen something and they all descended to the ground near the edge of the forest. Hopping off their dragons the riders looked at the small pool of blood on the ground and the track marks. The dragons sniffed the blood recoiling in fear. It was definitely Nissa's.

"Someone must have been lying in wait for her. They probably waited in the bushes over there and then hit her from behind. It looks like whoever dragged her away used a liter," Fishlegs said after examining the tracks.

"The tracks lead back towards the village!" Tuffnut shouted as he followed the tracks with Ruffnut careful not to mess up the tracks. Not that it mattered much after a few minutes. Animal tracks distorted the drag marks unable to see where they went. "Loss them, sorry Hiccup the tracks are gone."

"This is bad; we need to tell Stoick what we found. Maybe Gobber or the Honor Guard can figure out where the attacker took her. Hiccup are you okay?" Snotlout asked noticing his cousin's body had gone rigid, his eyes were transforming to look like Toothless, his necklace was shining brightly as it was transferring the Nightfury's power into the boy. The teens took a step back as Hiccup gazed into the distance as if he could see something they couldn't.

Indeed that was the case. The boost from the necklace had managed to force the bond between the two open. There was a flash and he saw a blurry image of a house, another flash he witnessed an injured Nissa trying to cut her ropes and final flash showed a figure with a staff making his way over with a threatening look. Letting loose a growl Hiccup took off on his own so fast he left the dragons and riders behind. A primal instinct mixed with the over needing desire to protect his friend, (doubled because of the traces of Arkin's blood), overwhelmed him as he drew his dagger ready to kill whomever was harming his friend.

In Mildew's house the old man had finished writing his messages releasing the birds; grumbling about the trouble of finding reliable messengers that returned to him. He decided to check on the prisoner hoping she be dead by now. Unfortunately the poison seemed to be slow acting in her. "It's so hard to find a good poison these days isn't it Fungus?"

"Baaaa baaaaaa."

"Hmm your wound is starting to close. No doubt because of your cursed blood's healing properties. Well I fix that, just need to stab you again. This time I'll aim for your heart directly ha ha," the old man laughed as Nissa hurriedly tried to speed up her efforts to at least get her hands free. The knife was hacking away at the bindings finally getting to the last layer, but it wouldn't be fast enough. As Mildew got ready to stab her she prayed it would be over quick.

Seconds before the dagger would have pierced her the door burst open and something tackled Mildew to the floor. Cursing the old man and his attacker wrestled on the floor, both shouting threats at each other. The daggers clashed with a mighty ring as the whole house shook as they rolled into the walls. The two combatants jumped apart and Nissa's heart beat proudly upon seeing her best friend standing there in a full battle stance with the tip of his dagger dripping in blood while Mildew glared at him. His cheek torn open dripping with blood.

"So the village embarrassment, the utter fool who can't kill anything, decides he's man enough to take me on? How pathetic."

Hiccup snarled at him revealing a set of sharpened teeth. His dragon like eyes narrowed and his whole body was tense prepared for action. Faint black scales formed a protective armor around his body, his fingernails started to resemble claws. He was beyond furious. "How _dare_ you hurt a foreign dignitary and my best friend! I knew you hated dragons Mildew, but to go far enough to kill Nissa to start a war that's lower then low. I should have ended your miserable life when you first framed the dragons. My mistake in letting you live. I won't make that one again," he told the old man, his voice ice cold.

"You think you can kill me boy? You're welcome to try, but I know how this will end. I'll make sure to burn your bodies beyond recognition by the time I'm through with you both!" Mildew snapped as he made the first move lunging at Hiccup. The boy swiftly dodged and with a flick of his wrist he sliced into the man's left arm shooting blood everywhere.

Mildew didn't get to reach his cranky old age by being stupid. He used the flowing blood to his advantage flinging into Hiccup's eyes blinding him for a second. As Hiccup tried to wipe the blood away the old man punched him in the stomach and kicked him hard in the shins. Hiccup twisted out of the path of the incoming dagger hurling a pot and nailing the old man in the head. He then lashed out kicking the man in the balls disorienting him more. Taking a few steps toward Mildew he slashed with his dagger only be parried by Mildew's. The old man pressed his dagger as hard as he could against the flat of Hiccup's blade attempting to knock it from the boy's hand. Hiccup decided to drop the dagger a bit so that Mildew's slid over him. He rolled underneath the man's legs starting to get up from his somersault to strike Mildew down only to feel a burning pain. Mildew had managed to regain his footing twisting around and lacerating the boy's back though thanks to his thin layer of scales it wasn't as deep as it could have been.

At the same time Fungus was getting ready to abandon his post guarding the dying girl. He lowered his head preparing to charge Hiccup. With adrenaline pumping in her veins Nissa finally finished cutting her hands free. She twisted her body until she manage to jab the knife into the sheep's side causing it to bleat in pang. Fungus kicked up his back feet nearly taking out her eyes. She fell to the right lying in wait as the sheep got ready to gore her. As he lowered his head she reached out securing his small horns and used her fading strength to fling him into the fireplace. She heard a sharp crack and a thud not caring if the beast was dead or alive. With renewed effort she finished cutting herself free shakily getting to her feet.

The fighting between Hiccup and Mildew had continued busting up the pieces of furniture in the house and knocking everything off the walls. Their feet had scuffed up the runes on the floor making partial communication possible. The two of them were to involved in their fight trying to kill one another to hear Nissa calling for help with her dragon roar. Mildew was forcing Hiccup into the back having managed to cut him in several places. The old man was losing energy and his knees were about to give out, but not before he killed the boy. Jumping backwards he reached out, snagging his discarded staff before winding up smacking the boy in the side causing the teen great anguish. He pressed his advantage hitting the boy repeatedly finally knocking his weapon out of his hand. Startled Hiccup lashed out with his claws severing the staff in two only for Mildew to side step him. Ignoring the aches and pains Hiccup tried to bite the man's hand only to be backhanded in the face causing him to stumble to the floor. Mildew was ready to impale him when Nissa weakly jumped on to his back. "AHHHH, you miserable wrench get off me!"

"Never old man! I won't let you hurt him!" Nissa said. She brought up her hands around his throat to choke him only to have him ram her into a wall causing her to slide a bit down his back. She scrambled to hold on partially manifesting her mouth breathing blue flames hoping to get him to sleep. Mildew laughed before tossing her over his shoulder into Hiccup. "Your little mist trick won't work this time. I've been building up a tolerance to it. Time to die!"

"NO!" She didn't know what possessed her at the moment, maybe it was her gemstone necklace that had gotten snagged on her boot or Hiccup's laboring breaths. All she knew was her hands darted out wrapping around Mildew's face as she activated her Dragon Heart full blast causing the man to halt in his tracks.

_Nissa opened her eyes seeing herself standing next to an impossibly high wall. She placed her hands on it trying to cause a collapse, but the wall stood firm and tall. She could hear Mildew's laughter on the other side mocking her. Angrily she shoved and tore at the wall with all her might scraping off the stones. The wall started to cave as a hole formed. With one last shove she was through and saw the old man trembling in disbelief. _

_ "Its...not...possible. You can't be here, this is my mind my refuge!" Mildew shouted. He punched her only for Nissa to grab his incoming fist crushing it. She twisted his wrist until it broke kicking him to the ground. She grabbed his other wrist breaking it. She poured her mental powers deeper into his mind ripping it apart piece by piece. Flashes of memories flickered past nearly overpowering her. _

_ Sensing her weakness Mildew fought kicking her rolling onto the small of his back and pitching forward unbalancing her. He stood up pressing his foot to her throat determined to crush her windpipe. "Say goodbye monste... ughhhhh!' A bright red hole appeared on his abdomen. The mindscape dissolved around the two of them._

Nissa let out a gasp, her eyes blurring even more, but she could see Hiccup clutching a bloody dagger; his body returning to its human form. A catatonic Mildew was standing there with a glazed look blood pooling out of his abdomen on to the dusty floor. The door to house burst open as Nissa and Hiccup succumbed to the darkness. They didn't hear or see the Honor Guard capturing Mildew, carrying the teens to Gothi and searching the house for evidence of why the attack took place. Neither of them were aware of the worry felt by the entire village and the growing fury at the old man.

In Gothi's hut the elder and Lumina were busy trying to help the injured teens. Lumina used her sharp teeth and talons to dice up and mix the plants together to form an antidote to the poison. Once done Gothi gently fed it to the teens making sure they swallowed every last drop. After that they stitched up the wound on Nissa side giving her some of Xanadu's antibiotics to fight off infection from Fungus bite. She gave Hiccup some pain killers before wrapping bandages over both their wounds. When she finished with them she begrudgingly went to work on the still catatonic Mildew treating his cuts and injured legs. Once she was done she left her patients under the protection of Steinar and Ula so she could "speak" with the chief and queen about the patients with Lumina by her side. The anxious leaders were barely holding it together as they waited for an update.

Gothi began drawing in the sand while Lumina translated for her partner. _"Nissa and Hiccup will live, we managed to counteract the poison just in time. Nissa's wounds have been stitched up and she thankfully doesn't have a concussion. There will be no scaring from Fungus's bites. Hiccup has multiple bruises and a long gash on his back that will take time to heal. He's physically and mentally exhausted after the transformation he underwent in his defense of Nissa. Both just need a little time to rest and recover."_

"Praise Odin, what about that cursed old man? Has he succumbed to his injuries or will I still have the pleasure of interrogating him before I execute him for treason?"

_"Mildew's wounds have been tended to. Hiccup's aim was slightly off seeing as how he only managed to gut him nicking the bottom of the lungs. Gothi's managed to close the wound and treated it with the Daypeace medicine so he'll live, but we're not sure you'll be able to get any answers out of him," _Lumina explained as she scrunched down in submission under the furious glare of Stoick. He was about to bellow so she meekly continued. _"I'm sorry Chief Stoick, but Mildew's unresponsive to all stimuli. Gothi's tried to wake him up, but he doesn't respond at all. His eyes show no real signs of life. It as if his mind is gone, but his body lives."_

"So that's how she stopped him, I wondered what drove her to that point," Rayna whispered clutching her arms tightly, her body stiff and rigid. She looked past the elder towards the back wanting nothing more then to rip apart the man for harming her niece making him suffer a slow death. Now that wasn't really possible. She glowered unhappily before explaining what had happened to the old man. "I hope you don't plan to harm my niece for defending herself against your mad man's attack on her life or your son's."

"Of course not! Mildew will get once coming to him, but I need to understand why he's like this. If we can't interrogate him we won't know what else he's been up to or what kind of danger he's brought to Berk."

"Then you're in for a long wait. What Nissa did is forbidden by Daypeace law except as an absolute last line of defense. She forced a mind like with Mildew penetrating into his very mind. With her Dragon Heart she literally ripped his mind apart attacking it until she left him in a catatonic state. His mind functions enough to keep the body alive, but his thoughts, memories, personality are gone. He's literally a shell of his former self."

"Can the damage be undone? Will he recover from this at all?" Stoick asked breathlessly. Knowing that the Daypeaces had that kind of power was scary knowledge. He was lucky during his battle with Rayna she hadn't attempted to do the same thing to him.

The queen of Xanadu shook her head slightly shrugging her shoulders. She mentally used her bond to ask Steinar to check if the old man was responding to mental links. He confirmed with her that Mildew wasn't reacting at all. She let out a sigh of frustration punching the wall in anger tearing a hole in it. "As I suspected the damage is most likely permanent. It's nearly impossible to repair a broken mind even for an experienced Daypeace with extraordinary mental talents. I don't think even I could undo what's been done. He will never recover from this. We've lost any chance of learning exactly what he's been doing. Killing him now would be a mercy one I'm not inclined to give. It's up to you what you want to do with him."

Stoick looked ready to tear apart Gothi's home when the door burst open with a panting Gobber. The blacksmith had a look of horror on his face and was carrying several sheets of parchment. "Stoick, you and Rayna need to come to Mildew's house right away. There's something you need to see." The two leaders were reluctant to leave their loved ones behind though they didn't have a choice. They marched up to Mildew's house where the dead body of Fungus was being carried out by Mulch and Bucket. The sheep's neck was snapped and now they were going to roast him for dinner.

Inside the house the remaining Honor Guard had finished their search. Davan and Fia were visibly shaking after reliving the fight for survival in the house. Isak, Rikard, Kariat, and Ywla bowed as the leaders entered. Kariat was holding a cage full of messenger birds and Ylwa had a small chest in her hands. Isak and Rikard both were holding documents looking quite serious. Davan and Fia started to speak about what had happened, but the Queen raised her hand stopping them. They could relay the playback later. Right now they had bigger concerns.

Isak took the lead, his voice tight and his rage barely contained. "We have a serious problem my Queen. One that gravely affects the security and future of this island. Our search has turned up several encrypted documents. It appears that Mildew was betraying his tribe for some time now. As you can see while we haven't been able to decrypt his letters he's obviously been sending information to Berk's enemies," he said handing over the documents. Neither Rayna or Stoick could decipher the runes, but the illustrations left no doubt what he was talking about. There were pictures of dragons, the map of the archipelago and a few scribbles that looked like the teens.

"I found the old man's journal. It's a encrypted as the documents though a few entries are in regular runes. According to these entries he's been selling information to your enemies in exchange for items to help start a war. These dates appear to start right around the time the dragons were allowed back on the island after their exile. We have no clue what he's been sending exactly and there's no cypher in the journal. I suspect he's been giving them strategic information on the dragons and Berk's defenses."

"We've identified the bands on the birds. The crests belong to the Meatheads, the Hysterics, the Murderous, the Berserkers as well as the Outcasts. The correspondence might have been erratic considering how many birds there are and those likely to have avoided being killed or eaten," Kariat explained as she showed them the bands on the bird's legs. Only two had bands with Berk's crest confirming the theory.

"He's been getting money and poisons from these people. They probably were rewards for specific information. We've been doing our best to break the code, but we have no idea what's been said. Our secret could be out there, the Gateways could be in danger. We need to get answers from Mildew."

"That's not possible, his mind is gone. By Tyra this is bad. We need your best men on this. If we don't break his code and soon both our people could be doomed."

"Don't worry I'll have my best men on this. We'll need to prepare for war. Mildew's treachery will not succeed."

Far away on Beserker Island Dagur was enjoying roast messenger bird. He knew that Mildew had been sending messages to other tribes so he ordered his hunters to kill the birds, secure the messages, and send false information to the other tribes. After all he couldn't let other tribes claim his prizes. A runner entered the Great Hall with a message. Upon reading it Dagur cracked the man's skull against the table in anger. "Prepare the boats! We leave at dawn for Berk! That old man attempted to betray me, but I'll have the last laugh once I have Hiccup and Nissa on this island working for me. Ha ha ha!"


	4. Abducting his prey

There was a lot of tension and fear on the island after the discovery of Mildew's treachery. They knew the man hated the dragons with a passion, but to actively betray them for months and involve foreign dignitaries as well, was beyond anything. It was as if Mildew had decide to borrow Loki's act enhance his bad points all for the sake of starting a war. Many thought that Mildew got what he deserved having his mind broken and almost everyone was calling for his death. At the moment the catatonic old man was in the jail being tended to off and on by Gothi until Stoick reached a decision about his fate. They still needed to find some way to retrieve the information from his shattered mind. Queen Rayna had contacted Healer Skerry who had agreed to come as soon as possible to attempt to filter through the man's shattered mind to find out what they needed. In the meantime Stoick had assigned a few code writers to work with Isak and Rikard to try todecipher the documents.

In the meantime the rest of the island was preparing for war. The riders and their dragons were busy helping teach the warriors how to fight while riding on back of a dragon. Communication was key especially since many were still struggling to master Dragonese. Many of them were stuck using hand signals which took time and patience to develop. The children were practicing escape drills in case of an invasion. The unpaired dragons were also preparing for war having mock fights to increase their speed and strength. The sentry dragons were on alert constantly patrolling and reporting in any signs of dangers. Everyone was praying to the gods there wouldn't actually be a war, but there was no guarantee of that.

As for the two patients they been moved into their homes to recover from their injuries. Gothi had made sure to check on them to make sure infection hadn't set in and that the wounds were healing properly. Thankfully the bruises were already fading from their bodies. Thanks to Nissa's healing factor the bite mark was already gone and the skin regrown. Their bodies were still weak from the poison, but at least there were no lasting effects thanks to the quick administration of the antidote. All they need was more time to rest before resuming normal activity. The only thing that could kill them now was boredom.

Queen Rayna was in the home checking on her niece's progress. She sat on the girl's bed brushing back a strand of pink hair watching her chest rise and fall. "I can't believe I almost lost you again. Sometimes I question the wisdom of letting you come live on this violent island. Vikings are the complete opposite of us; they're conquerors who plunder from the weak and enjoying slaying so called monsters with their weapons. They never seem to use their brains preferring their brawn and are so out of touch with the natural world. Still if one boy can end a war with trust and friendship who am I to judge? Sleep my niece when you wake up we have much to discuss about your future." She leaned over to kiss the girl on the forehead before descending the stairs to speak with Ula and Steinar.

The Honor Guard members bowed slightly with Queen Rayna waved off. This wasn't time for decorum. "How goes the progress on deciphering the old man's notes? Have you made any progress?"

"No Your Highness, whatever code Mildew used was unique to him alone. Kariat's attempts to use the messengers birds to learn what had been sent. However they refuse to work for her. It seems the old man taught them to only answer to him or whomever received the message. Ywla has continued her search to find out what items the man received for payment. So far we've found fifty pieces of gold, six different poisons, and at least a dozen of weapons. She's attempting to figure out who sent what and if there was a specific reward system for specific information," Steinar explained, his turquoise eyes had bags under them and the poor man hadn't eaten anything in the past three days. He was to ashamed of his failure of not protecting the scion to Xanadu's throne.

Ula handed him a piece of bread urging him to eat something. He was about to refuse only to have her shove it into his mouth followed by handing him a pitcher of milk. As he chewed Ula continued with the report. "While we aren't certain Mildew gave away our secret we've taken precautions checking on the Gateway. He wasn't aware of its locations or how to operate it. We managed to shut down the Gateway for now and Thornado has his friend keeping watch on the device to protect it. Pray to Helios no one comes across it. How is the Princess doing? Is she going to be okay?"

"Nissa is recovering slowly from her injuries, but she should be fine in a day or two. I'm concerned about her state of mind when she learns what she did. It is never easy dealing with the consequences of breaking a person's mind. I fear she might have absorbed some of Mildew's memories. Despite the fact it might help us I rather she not have those memories to deal with."

"It's understandable My Queen. Should we stay here while you're having your meeting with Stoick?" Rayna nodded taking one last glance up the stairs before heading to her meeting. Neither she nor the Honor Guard members were aware that Nissa had awaken and was slipping off to check on Hiccup. She had pulled the oldest trick in the book placing pillows under her blanket to make it seem like she was still there.

Hiccup was snoring in his sleep as he carefully rolled over clutching his dragon toy in his arms. Toothless and Orli were crammed into his bedroom keeping watch over the boy. Toothless refused to leave his boy's side not even to hunt or use the facilities unless Orli dragged him outside. She understood his concern and helped him tending to Hiccup's needs. Whenever Stoick had a free moment he joined the dragons on their vigil making sure he was okay. Hiccup rarely stayed awake longer than half an hour before going back to sleep.

_"This is becoming something of normal thing around here. Every time we have an adventure he ends up hurt in bed. I'm starting to wonder if I'm a bad luck charm for Hiccup," _Toothless muttered under his breath. He covered his head with his forepaws scratching it hard. Orli smacked him lightly with her tail and told him to stop being so silly.

_"Toothless you are not bad luck; if anything you are the best good luck charm in the world. You helped him find his place in the world and in turn he helped you find us. Sure he gets hurt sometimes, but aren't you the one who said that it's an occupational hazard of being a Viking?" _ Orli folded her wings over her mate giving him a gentle kiss. She started humming a tune causing Toothless eyes to droop. He really was tired, having not slept since the boy been moved into his room.

Toothless let out a loud yawn. He circled around a few times setting his bed on fire before curling up to sleep. Orli let out her own yawn curling up next to her mate burrowing under his wings. Her own lullaby had made her sleepy. Soon both dragons were fast asleep not even waking up when someone tiptoed up the stairs and sat down on the bed next to him. Hiccup's eyes snapped open and he sat up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Shouldn't you be in bed resting? I know your not one hundred percent."

"Neither are you, but I had to see how you were after your risked your life for me. My aunt told me how you came to my defense. I wanted to thank you for that," she said before kissing him on the forehead causing the boy to blush horribly. He didn't think it was that big of a deal, he would have come to any of his friend's rescue. "It was nothing really."

"Yes it was Hiccup. You used the magic of the gemstone to unlock a special power. You've always been dragon like even before you had my cousin's blood in you. You always have had a natural empathy with them not mention you body type makes you more agile and faster then most humans, even more so because of his blood. The necklace let you share your powers with Toothless when near each other, but now you can actually able to take on dragon traits by yourself. It's almost like you're a natural hybrid like me now."

"Boy Dad will be happy to hear that. He's still having difficulties dealing with me normally. I think I won points for nearly killing Mildew though I can't be sure because I've been asleep most of the time. So why are you really here? What's worrying you so much?"

Instead of answering him verbally she linked their minds together with her Dragon Heart taking him back to the field they use to play in when he was little. _The smell of fresh flowers and sweet grass filled the air. A breeze tickled the two of them and the sounds of birds singing filled the air. Nissa started rolling down the hill laughing in utter bliss. Hiccup quickly followed after her overtaking her winning the race. She tagged him and they started to play like they use to when he was younger. They climbed trees and played hide and seek. After awhile they came to rest next to a pond contemplating skipping rocks. He turned his head raising an eyebrow wanting to know why she had brought him here. "Why are we here? What's the matter Nissa, you look so sad."_

_ Nissa sighed, skipped a rock before speaking. "My aunt is considering taking me home. She believes it might be impossible for our two tribes to ever accomplish anything. Mildew's attack has her questioning my safety. I don't want to be grounded back home unable to have fun or be with our friends. I need this, a day of fun and relaxation. No worries, no responsibilities just pure happiness and joy."_

_ "So you thought you bring us here to have fun? I admit this place is great, but I thought you would want to have fun in the real world. Is this based on a real place?" _ _Nissa nodded pulling out a map and showing him the island was close by, less then a half a day's journey to the west. Hiccup suggested the two of them get a boat and sail there. Just have an afternoon of fun being pseudo siblings. They be back before anyone knew they were gone. Smiling she canceled the mindlink. _After packing a few supplies and leaving a note they hurried away unaware that Toothless burned it with a small sneeze.

Even with heightened security Hiccup was able to find them a small sailboat on the beach. It was big enough for just the two of them and their supplies. They had packed some extra bandages and medicine, food for a picnic, and their weapons plus Hiccup's journal and Nissa favorite book for unknown reasons. Raising the sails and adjusting them they were soon on their way to what Nissa affectionately called Hiccup's Hideaway.

The two companions were mostly silent on the ride simply enjoying their surroundings. The water lapped against the boat gently and they watched an albatross fly in the air before diving down for prey. In the distance they saw a pod of narwhales leaping through the air letting out squeaks of joy. The sun was warming them up and the clouds were sparse in the endless blue sky. It was a wonderful ride. An hour and half later they arrived on a small island where they jumped out and pulled their sailboat on to the shore securing it. Climbing up a small embankment they entered a vale. Hiccup helped Nissa down and they strolled towards the meadow.

"Isn't this the most beautiful sight you've ever seen? Look at all the colors!" Nissa exclaimed. It was true the meadow was carpeted in wild flowers of different colors ranging from salmon pink all the way to royal plum. The grass was medium height some patches standing straight up and others folded over by the wind. Bushes of wild berries dotted the landscape with small bunkers popping up in different places. "I use to come here to recover my strength before heading home to Xanadu. I actually brought you here a few times when you were just a toddler. You were usually partially misted so you didn't realize I was real."

"I think I remember that. You taught me how to make crowns out of flowers. I gave one to my mother. She was delighted with it though Dad thought I was wasting my time. She did wondered where the flowers came from though since she could never find a few of them on the island," Hiccup recalled as he gently picked an orange blossom and smelling its fragrance. He was starting to wonder if the reason he felt so at ease in the forest was because of his time spent with Nissa here.

The princess, who was already stringing together a few of the flowers to form a crown, remarked casually, "It was after that I stopped bringing you here in person and recreated it in my mindscape. I missed coming here with you to play. Still it's not like I could endanger the mission even if it was to make my little brother giggle learning to whistle with grass."

"I sometimes forget that your older then you look. Lately it feels like I'm the older brother because of how often I defend you."

"I don't need you to defend me or my honor as often as you think Hiccup," she said with a twinkle in her eye. She let out a little giggle as she placed a flower crown on his head and he slipped a bracelet around her wrist. "Besides, I have a hundred and three years on you. No way can you be the older sibling."

"So we have a few hours before we have to get back to Berk. What do you want to do on our relaxing day off?" She responded tugging him further into the meadow before falling on her back to watch the clouds drift by commenting on the shapes and occasionally sketching them. Sometime later they assembled a kite from some twigs and a napkin to fly in the air. It was fun racing across the meadow and doing spirals with the kite until a passing bird split it in half. After that they set up their picnic lunch next to the pound watching the bugs get eaten by the frogs. The delectable taste of fresh foot and milk tasted sweet. Even their smoked salmon sandwiches tasted better then usual. They rested for a while before getting into a splash war with one another laughing as if they were carefree children again.

"Okay I give up you're the splash queen. Feeling any better now?" he asked wincing slightly. He was feeling a little sore and he thought he felt his cuts getting aggravated. He reached into the satchel getting the medicine and bandages. Nissa was wincing a bit her own wound flaring up. As they helped bandage each other up Hiccup recalled something else they use to do on the island. "I just remembered something. You use to sing me a song before we left this place. I tried once to sing it to my parents, but I couldn't remember all the words."

"I recollect that, I always felt bad leaving you when you were small. You were so lonely and sad that I sang a song my mother taught me to keep your spirits up until I returned. Hmm, what was it called again? Oh yeah 'I'll Remember You'." She hummed a few bars creating the melody before she started to sing.

_"It has been so long since we have talked_

_ I hope that things are still the same_

_ hoping they will never change_

_ cause what we had can't be replaced_

_ don't let our memories fade away_

_ keep me in your heart for always_

_You made me believe_

_ that I can do almost anything_

_ stood right by me_

_ through the tears through everything"_

Hiccup closed his eyes; the song was making him think of his mother. He remembered how much he loved her and how she liked hearing him attempting to sing songs or draw pictures for her.

"_I'll remember you,_

_ and baby that's forever true_

_ you're the one that I'll always miss_

_ never thought it would feel like this_

_ I'll be there for you,_

_ no matter what you're goin' through_

_ in my heart you'll always be, forever baby_

_ I'll remember you_

_I promise you I won't forget the times we shared, the tears we cried_

_ You'll always be the sun in my sky_

_ It may be fate that brings us back to meet again someday_

_ Even though we go separate ways_

_ You made me believe_

_ that I can do almost anything_

_ You stood right by me_

_ through the tears through everything"_

Nissa paused for a moment, her own memory of being safe with her parents fresh in her mind. She was sad they would never meet the human she felt such a strong bond with. She knew they would have approved Hiccup as being her pseudo brother.

_"I'll remember yooooou,_

_ and baby that's forever true_

_ you're the one that I'll always miss_

_ never thought it would feel like this_

_ I'll be there for yooooou,_

_ no matter what your goin' through_

_ in my heart you'll always be, forever baby_

_ I'll remember you_

_If the day should come when you need someone_

_ (you know that i'll follow)_

_ I will be there_

_ Don't ever let there_

_ be a doubt in your mind_

_ 'cause I'll remember you, you"_

Both of them felt tears threatening to fall. They remembered all the good times they shared growing up together and how much they cared for one another. If this was their last day together they would make it the best one ever.

_ "I'll remember you,_

_ and baby that's forever true_

_ you're the one that I'll always miss_

_ never thought it would feel like this_

_ I'll be there for you,_

_ no matter what your goin' through_

_ in my heart you'll always be, forever baby_

_ I'll remember you_

_ Forever baby, I'll remember you"_

"That was a pretty song. Thanks for singing it for me."

"Your welcome, we should probably head back now. The others must be worried about us." The two of them finished gathering their supplies and starting to head back when from the lip of the vale spears came flying at them. The two ducked under the barrage fearful of the danger they faced all alone. They scurried away from the danger only to dive for the ground as axes came at them. They crawled through the grass taking cover behind a bunker as the shouts of blood thirsty men filled the air from both sides of the vale.

"This is bad, very bad ugh oh my cuts are acting up."

"I think my stitching may becoming undone. We're not a hundred percent yet. We need to try to get to the boat quickly. Once were in the ocean I'll manifest and carry it away."

"How do you propose we get to the beach when we're surrounded by savage men?" He let out a small grunt as she shoved his knife into his hands and pulled out her mace from their supplies. She held out her hand to the sinking sun gathering the light in her palm as she focused her magical energies, her amethysts necklace glowing brightly as it enhanced her powers.

"Get ready to fight our way to the beach. I'm going to scattered some pansies. _Solarbeam scattered release!" _A beam of pure radiating sunlight shot straight up from her hand stopping the encroaching men in their tracks. The beam crackled splintering into large globes of sunlight scattering to the ground like falling meteorites. The enemy shouted in surprise and pain as the globes hit the ground exploding or knocking them ten feet in different directions. Using the confusion the two friends jumped out from behind the bunker making a dash for the treeline.

The enemy gave chase coming at them with swords, bolas, and axes intent with capturing the two teens. A loud crack was heard as the bolas missed them by inches striking the ground. Two men popped up from the meadow floor where they had lain in wait with axes aimed for the kids. Hiccup ducked to the right thrusting his knife into the beefy man's hand causing him to drop the axe. On the left Nissa ducked, dodged, and jumped into the air bringing down her mace on her attacker's head. There was a crunch as the helmet imploded. She pulled her mace back taking another swing this time in the gut. She tackled the man tipping him over. With the path cleared the two hit the treeline with the sound of pursuit and the smell of bad breath trailing after them.

_Do you recognize what tribe this is? _

_I haven't been looking to closely considering we're running for our lives. I know this for certain it's not the Outcasts after us so maybe we should consider ourselves lucky._

_ So if it's not Alvin then it must be whoever has stalked us! They're here to abduct us and take us back to the mastermind. We picked a fine time to have a day off without Toothless and Orli. Remind me if we get out of this never to go on another getaway without back up. _

_ Noted, come on we have to lead them away from the ship. We'll lose them in the trees and then double back. _

The two headed deeper into the forest, Nissa turning around to fire rays of light knocking out a few of their pursuers. They saw a fallen tree climbing it with celerity. Using his knife he managed to saw some of the branches off kicking them into the face of the enemy slowing them down for a few seconds. Taking a leap of faith they jumped off the end on to a nearby branch. Hiccup nearly fell off it, but Nissa steadied him. Catching their breath they saw the men trying to reach them only to fall short.

"They're to heavy with all that armor to make the jump. That won't stop them from coming after us. Up to playing leap frog through the trees?"

"Does it look like we have a choice?" Taking a deep breath he jumped flailing his hands managing to snag a branch on the next tree. He started swinging back and force creating momentum before releasing soaring through the air grabbing the next branch. He kept doing that, climbing higher or lower when he needed to. Nissa was right behind him slightly slower as her side started to ache. Below them the enemy was trying to track them, but was having difficulties with the thick foliage. Some of the men tried to climb the tree only to slip back down. They didn't realize they had bypassed the teens at one point as they shouted to each other not to lose their prey.

Sliding down the tree to the ground Nissa wobbled slightly nearly passing out. Hiccup caught her lowering her to the ground. "What's wrong? Did your wound open up again? Do you need water or food?"

"I'm fine, my wound hasn't reopened. I just felt weak all of a sudden as if there was deposits of galena nearby, but it's not native to this island."

"We need to get you as far away from that stuff as soon as possible. Ugh, oh I think the gash on my back nearly reopened. Can you manifest? No, okay let's get to the boat. The sooner we're off this island the sooner we'll be safe." Hiccup half carried her down the slope on to the beach. After making sure there was no one around they hugged the slope wall as they speed walked until they reached the spot where the boat was. Miraculously the boat hadn't been discovered. They took off at a sprint for the boat. They were almost in reach when a series of bolas came out of nowhere wrapping around them. "NOOOOOO!"

"Well looks like we managed to capture the chief's prey after all. He's going to be so pleased," chortled one of the sneering man, the leader of this little band. The other men joined in laughing. He ordered the men to destroy the boat. They were dragged down the opposite side of the beach, struggling to break free. Hiccup and Nissa thought the men looked familiar. It wasn't until they and their belongings were tossed roughly on the deck of a ship with them grunting in pain that they recognized the crest. Not that it mattered once they heard the maniacal laughing and the sound of knives being thrown over their heads before Dagur loomed over them.

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever capture you two. I was all ready to storm Berk and take you by force until I spotted your little sailboat on the island. It's as if the Gods decided to deliver you to me as a personal favor. I haven't felt this giddy since I took over the Berserkers! Don't look at me like that, if I wanted you dead you would be. You'll find out soon enough why I went to such lengths to get you. Men we sail for home, make sure there's no trace of us on this island. I wouldn't want Stoick showing up and taking my property from me. Take our guests below deck and treat their wounds before restraining them. I'll talk to them in a bit. Oh we're going to have so much fun ha ha ha ha!" Dagur laughed and hooted as Nissa and Hiccup were escorted below deck. The Berserkers "medic" raided their satchel clumsy treating their wounds before they were shackled to the side of the boat.

Both of them struggled to find some way to slip out of their bonds, but they couldn't. Upon closer inspection Nissa found hers coated in galena. That explained her continuous weakness not that she would have manifested fully on the Berserkers boat. For the time being they would need to be patient and hope they could figure a way out of this.

Dagur kept them waiting for nearly forty five minutes before he came strolling in spitting at the floor with a crazed look in his eyes. His smug look irritated the captives greatly. He took out a knife casually flipping it around for before speaking. "I hope you two are comfortable enough. We should be back home at Berserker Island, no should I say the newly renamed Dagur's Atoll within the hour. You'll love it there we just finished constructing the new impenetrable fortress and adding the catapults and crossbow shooters. I admit it's not as aesthetically pleasing as Berk, but I'm sure you'll adjust to life there pretty quickly."

"What are you going on about Dagur? You really think you can get away with kidnapping the heirs to Berk and Xanadu without consequences? When my Dad finds out..."

"Stoick isn't going to find you Hiccup. I've made sure to leave no evidence of my tribe's presences on your little getaway. I'm surprised he let you and your friend leave Berk while you're recovering from your battle with Mildew. Oh don't look so shocked I've been in contact with Mildew for a while now. He's the one who told me all about your little dragon army to begin with," Dagur responded gleefully. He stopped flipping his knife and tossed it into the wall above their heads with a satisfying thunk. He seemed to get pleasure from the smoldering looks of his captives face. "See, that's the kind of spirit I was hoping to make mine."

"Enough games Dagur! Either tell the whole story or leave us in peace! What did Mildew share with you and why did you capture us?" Nissa asked angrily. She stiffened a bit as Dagur leaned over to her leering before he straightened up and ordered his men to bring him a seat. Once seated his seem to ponder his words before speaking.

"After I retired my father and became chief I was ready to wage war on everyone and everything. I needed fresh blood to satisfy my knives hunger. I had already instructed my men before we came to Berk to rebuild our tribe's reputation. You should have seen us plundering trading ships and getting into skirmishes only to come out victorious against the other tribes. I had planned on making my attack on Berk the glory moment of my chiefhood. Think of it, the armada invading the island and slaying hundreds of dragons while maiming the Hooligan tribe! It would have been glorious!" he said, his eyes distant as he daydreamed.

"So what stop you? If you truly believed we had a dragon army why go through with the signing? Why retreat instead of waging war? Not that I'm complaining that you left our island in peace."

"Oh Hiccup, I just love that dry wit of yours. It's so entertaining, you're going to have to teach me it sometime. Oh don't give me that look if you really want to know the answer I'll tell you. You two made quite the impression on me. For instance Hiccup, you actually threatened me! You were willing to attack me and kill me if you needed too. You never flinched once during my time on Berk and might I add your skills have improved greatly. That brain of yours had to be the reason behind the so called raid. That was pretty clever of you. Then there's you beautiful, fierce, and powerful Nissa. You're unlike any girl I've met before. Not only can you fight without any fear I admire the way you stick to your beliefs. You actually made some good points with your diplomatic skills. The way you handled me and my men while commanding your Honor Guard was fantastic. The two of you were more interesting than Stoick. I had to make you both mine no matter what. I needed to know everything about the both of you."

"You little creep; it was your men stalking us wasn't it?" Nissa demanded angrily. She tugged at her shackles only for the galena to dig into her skin making her wince. Hiccup also winced as if he felt her pain only making Dagur smile more. It was if he was confirming something. "I hope that we were entertaining enough for you. Considering how much your men flopped their assignment I'd be surprised if you actually learned anything useful about us."

"Exactly what did you learn about us? What did Mildew tell you?"

"Patience I'm getting there. I have to admit that my men performed less than satisfactory. I cracked a few skulls and bleed out a few of them for their failures," Dagur muttered. He clutched a new knife before stabbing it into the wall and punching two of his guards in the gut. He seemed to be on the verge of a tantrum as he ranted about. "The Berserkers are the greatest warriors ever, but they don't posses even half the intelligence you two possess. I gave them simple orders; spy on the teens, find out everything you can about them, protect them with your lives and don't be discovered. Yeah that worked out really well. Not only did they lose the boat following the wrong teens half of them got buried under a pit of bones!"

"So it was your ship Snotlout and the Twins found. We couldn't figure out whom it belonged to."

"Yeah they stupidly capsized it when they saw how agitated your dragons became. I wasn't to happy with them losing the boat. The only reason they lived was because they confirmed the army and brought back an interesting tidbit. You guys can speak to dragons. Oh shut up your protests my men saw it with their own eyes! To think not only are the beasts capable of being trained they have their own language! The possibilities are endless."

The two teens looked at each other with fright in their eyes. One of their precious secrets was no longer a secret. The growing feeling of despair in their stomach continued to grow as they listened to Dagur continue with his story. His men had followed them to Outcast Island getting caught up in the storm. His men had noticed Nissa's reaction to the galena bringing it back. He confirmed that it was them who killed the Outcasts and helped them escape to keep them out of Alvin's hands and make the man look like a fool. The Berserkers were also responsible for the Scauldrun attack though they nearly drowned themselves in the process. All they were able to figure out from that encounter is that the teens necklaces had some special powers and that two of them had an almost supernatural relationship with dragons. When they brought up Mildew once more Dagur started cursing and kicking things. Clearly that was a sore subject.

"That old man was a cheat and betrayed me as well! Do you know how many times I asked for information about you Nissa? I practically gave him the treasury for insight on you, your people and such only to have him string me along. He seemed to actually enjoy toying with me giving me half truths. The only real fact he was willing to share was that there was some kind of mental bond between you two. He confirmed you had some kind of magical powers not that he told me what they were exactly. He mentioned your people heal faster and have advances in many areas, but refused to be specific about most of it. He kept dangling a super secret about you in my face saying that your ability you affectionately called the Dragon Heart was part of a larger secret. I was getting tired of him. I had hoped by hunting down the other messenger birds and sending false facts to the other tribes I get a leg up on them only to discover he was just as cryptic with them. I have my suspicions on what your secret really is and I hope you confirm it sometime soon. You two have my gratitude for making the old man suffer. I sent one of my assassins to kill the man and steal his knowledge only to discover you two got to him first. Good job Hiccup you nearly killed him, I'll teach you how to properly gut a person. I think I fell more in love with you Nissa after learning how you destroyed Mildew's mind. Ha ha ha he's going to be a limp fish for the rest of his short life!"

"Would you quit it already Dagur! You've had your little limelight. Are we suppose to be frightened by what you've gathered on us? If you're so obsessed with us then what are your plans for us exactly? Why are you taking us to your home? Why go through all this trouble if you wanted to kill us?" Hiccup demanded in a low tone of voice.

"I don't want to kill you two I want you to become part of my tribe! Think of it Hiccup, with you as my right hand man I can elevated the Berserkers to a whole new level. You can train an army of dragons for me, teach my men to actually use their brains, even assist me in my duties as chief. In turn I can teach you how to become a true blood thirsty warrior not to be mess with. Don't think I've forgotten about you princess. I've fallen under your spell. You're the most beautiful and dangerous girl I've met. I wanted to learn all I could about you in order to make you my girlfriend and eventually my wife. The two of us are a perfect match! I can just picture our kids carrying on our traditions making the whole archipelago ours. Nothing will stand in my way once the two of you become part of the Berserker tribe!" Dagur shouted, knocking over his chair as he stood up pumping his fist and whooping in delight. He gandered at them as if hoping they would be willing to say yes at that moment.

The two scions were in disbelief about what they just heard. Dagur couldn't be serious about this could he? When Gobber said the Berserkers played for keeps they didn't suspect he meant this. Nissa blurted out, "You can't be serious about this. You stalked us while killing anyone who got in your way, conspired with Mildew and threatened Berk safety, not to mention abducting us and holding us prisoner, all so you could make us part of your tribe? Do you honestly believe that Hiccup and I would abandon our people and willingly join you? You must be deranged if you think you'll succeed in this endevour!"

"Oh I'm deranged alright Princess, but I'm not stupid. You two don't exactly have many options now do you? Your people have no idea where you are or that you've been kidnapped by us. Stoick is much more likely to believe Alvin's behind the deed then me. You're both still weak and outnumbered. You can't even use your special powers without me witnessing them and countering them. I can hold you as long as I want until you agree to join me and if you still refuse I'll wage war on Berk killing as many people and dragons as I can. I might even find a way to invade Xanadu. No matter how you look at it both of you _will_ become part of my tribe and fulfill the roles I have in mind. Take all the time you want to think about it, but I think you'll come around to my way of thinking," Dagur laughed as he grabbed their chins staring them directly in the eyes. After tossing them back into the wall he left.

Sometime later they arrived at Dagur's Atoll. The island was smaller than Berk with hills rather than cliffs. There were clusters of trees dotted around the island instead of a forest. It had a huge bay where more than a hundred ships were docked. What made it really scary was the gigantic stone/wood fortress up the main hill with the entire village inside the compound. There were more than two dozen men patrolling the perimeter. The two of them were dragged up the hill and into the fortress. The houses were similar to Berk only most were made out of stone. They didn't see any children playing and the women were that were out we're heavily armored with sneers on their faces. The two teens were brought to the prison and locked up in the tower cell. The room was bare except for a single bench and a small barred window. They would be guarded around the clock until they agreed to join the tribe. They were given a small jug of water and single fish to share before being left alone to contemplate their situation.

The two of them sat in silence for a while neither one sure what to say. This wasn't how they planned to spend their day and now they may never see their homes again if Dagur had his way. Finally Hiccup decided to break the silence. "So this is an awkward situation isn't it? I never suspected that someone would kidnap me to join their tribe as its adviser. Its kinda flattering if you think about it; that Dagur thought I was worthy of such a situation. Then there's you. Dagur is a little deranged and has that nasty habit of throwing knives at your head, but otherwise he's a good guy I guess. When can I expect to have little deranged Daypeace nephews and nieces running around trying to fry people?"

"Glad to see that captivity hasn't ruined your sense of humor," Nissa responded sarcastically. She rubbed her shackled wrists trying to get the galena off with no success. She sat down on the bench in a huff with Hiccup joining her. He awkwardly tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but his hands were still restricted. They both looked at the ground unhappily before she spoke in a whisper. "I don't even think its possible for me to have kids with a human anyways. We've always mated with our own kind including the recruits after their transformation. Besides Dagur isn't my type."

Both of them chuckled feeling a tiny bit better then they had. They may be prisoners, but at least they had each other for company. Between the two of them they come up with a plan to escape. At the moment their options were extremely limited. Dagur had brought up a lot of good points as Hiccup reminded them. "Dagur's right about several things. No one knows where we are and that the Berserkers took us prisoners. My note didn't give exact coordinates to our little getaway. Even if they figure it out there's nothing left there for them to find. Dad is much more likely to blame Alvin then Dagur. Do you think your aunt or the Honor Guard could pick up psychic traces of what happened? Can you contact them at all or manifest?"

"If too much time passes there might not be enough essences left for the psychomentry part of the Dragon Heart to work properly. We're to far away for them to hear me mentally and the galena is making it hard for me to use my powers. Besides, right now all Dagur has is suspicions of my secret I rather not confirm them if possible." Nissa winced as her wound flared up. The healing was starting to slow thanks to the galena. Both of them knew it would be suicide to attempt a jailbreak in their weakened state without weapons and being vastly outnumbered.

"Maybe we can send a message to Berk. If we could just talk to a dragon..." Hiccup was saying before she rudely interrupted him.

"Dagur knows we can talk to dragons. If he doesn't have any hesitation about killing messenger birds and eating them then he'll do the same to the dragons. Dagur has planned this for a long time ever since his obsession with us began. Any escape attempt is going to end in disaster. Not to mention his threat to wage war on our homes. Can you use your necklace's power to shapeshift?"

"No, there are no dragons close enough for me to borrow their power. It could only work with Toothless or it might require a specific situation to activate. I tried on the boat to activate its power and it didn't happen. I need more practice to do it willingly. What about your necklace's powers? Can't you use it bust us out of here with your magical power boost ability?"

"Even with the boost I don't think my magic is enough. I also doubt its special power is a magical boost. These necklaces were meant to share the body, mind, and spirit of dragon with a human, make them one. I already am that so it just naturally enhances my abilities. Its true power is yet to be revealed. That being said I think our best option is to give Dagur what he wants."

"Are you crazy?! You want us to betray our tribes? I am not going to train dragons for him! Do you really want to spend the rest of your life taking orders from him? Giving into his demands is not a choice at all."

"Wrong Hiccup, it is a choice, we just might not like it. I'm not saying we give up just taking a different approach. If we're allowed to roam the island or work with his tribe it can only help us. We'd can learn about the weak points, figure out ways to escape, perhaps even change Dagur's mind and convince him to let us go."

Hiccup looked at her flabbergasted that she would even make a suggestion like that. No one had ever been able to change Dagur's mind once he set it on something. Not even Oswald could control his son and he was gone now. From their conversation on the ship combined with his visit it was obvious to them what had happened to Oswald the Agreeable. The one person who might have been able to help them was dead. He may not have always gotten along with his Dad, but he wouldn't have gone as far as kill him to get what he wanted. Even after all the treatment Rayna gave her niece the girl had forgiven her and forged a new bond. They could change, it was impossible for Dagur too.

Nissa picked up his emotional state and knowing she had to make him see what she had observed. "You're right about Dagur, he's deranged and did kill his father, but doing that has left a scar inside him. I can sense it even if you can't. He's jealous of your relationship with your father. He knows that you and your Dad didn't always get along, but now look at your relationship. It's so strong and caring, he's proud of you. Stoick was always proud of you, but couldn't get the words out after your mom died. It took you almost dying for him to come to terms with his feelings. From what you told me about Oswald he couldn't be more different then his son. They never resolved their differences, part of the reason he's doing this I think is to prove his dad wrong. He still wants to earn his approval even after he killed him."

"You really think you can analyze a person's mental state by observing their actions and listening to them talk? That sounds way to freaky to be considered a science. Did you come across it on your world travels?" Nissa shoved him in the side unable to smack him, but he got the message. He wouldn't doubt her assessment on the workings of Dagur's inner mind. "So what do you propose we do to get Dagur to change his mind? He's a Berserker to the core. He won't give up bloodshed and hurting others because we say so."

"I doubt we can change his mind about everything, that's impossible even for us. However, if we can show him he's not alone, that he has friends and other options it might help us earn our freedom. Here's my plan." Thirty minutes later they called for the guard asking to see Dagur. They were escorted to the Great Hall where he was just finishing up a feast while regaling his tales to the crowd.

"Hiccup, Nissa it's so good to see you! I was just telling everyone about how you'd be joining our tribe soon enough. I already have homes picked out for you two and some new clothes to wear. Have you come to your senses and decide to join my tribe?" Dagur asked, a big grin on his face.

"We have some terms to go over if you want us to stay willingly. Don't give us that look if you want your prizes what's a little more work to make us happy enough not to escape?" Hiccup asked him not flinching as the knife was brought up to his throat. "Really Dagur you wanted us badly enough to risk other tribes wraith the least you could do is give in to a term or two."

"Fine, if it means you two don't put up a resistance I can be generous. What can I do to make your stay more comfortable?"

"Our terms are simple Dagur. You allow us to still spend time with one another without so many guards. If it makes you feel better you can have us watched by your top four men, to for each of us. You don't attack our homes unless they come here for us then you have the right to defend yourselves. Take off the shackles, if you want I'll wear galena in an armband, but not the shackles. Treat us with respect and at least listen to what we have to say. Lastly you'll court me properly. You want me to embrace your traditions then respect mine. Earn my love and we might actually make this work. So do we have a deal?" Nissa asked holding out a blood smeared hand.

Dagur fumed at the thoughts of giving into any demands. He _knew_ they would still attempt to escape for awhile that's why he planned to have them watched and kept apart. The thought of courting Nissa was vile, but in the end if he gave somethings up then he'd win. Slicing his own palm he grasped hers sealing the deal. This was the start of his new reign.

Back on Berk the teens had decided to visit their friends to see how they were feeling. The girls went to visit Nissa and the boys to check on Hiccup. Ruffnut was carrying a fresh bake pie she had made for Nissa as a treat. She hoped the girl would enjoy it. They knocked on the door and Ula answered smiling at the both. "Hello girls its good to see you. Are you here to visit Nissa?"

"Yeah we even brought her something to eat! I hope she likes it, I made it myself you know."

"I'm sure she will. She's been sleeping all afternoon so she must be starving by now. Why don't you two go wake her up while I get some fruit juice to with this?" The girls nodded heading up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Nissa time to get up. We brought pie for you," Ruffnut called out to the lump. It didn't stir or make any noise not even when she poked it. Concerned Astrid stripped the bed gasping in horror at the sight before them. "ULA! NISSA'S GONE!"

"WHAT?" The female Honor Guard member rushed up the stairs gasping at the empty bed in disbelief. She pressed her hand on the bed using her Dragon Heart to catch a glimpse of the past. The essence trapped was very faint so all she saw was Nissa getting out of bed and stuffing it with pillow. After that there was nothing. Reaching out she tried to find the missing princess with her bond, but there was nothing there. "This is bad very bad. How much worse can things get?"

The universe must have heard her because the front door slammed open as the boys rushed in with Steinar shouting all at once. After being hit on the head they calmed down enough to explain to the girls what they had found. Hiccup was missing from his room and there was no note or signs of a struggle. Orli and Toothless were tracking the scent for now hoping to find them though it didn't look like they would. The two teens had vanished from the island. No one was looking forward to explaining this to their leaders.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEIR BOTH MISSING?" Stoick and Rayna bellowed in unison. They had been in the Great Hall developing strategies in case of an attack. As Gobber, Davan, and Fia tried to calm their leaders down they were shrugged of with violence. Both of them were upset and worried.

"Don't tell me to calm down Gobber! Hiccup is still recovering from his attack. He's in no condition to be frolicking around on his own. We're there any signs of a struggle? Did you find any indication they were abducted?"

"There were no signs that they were forcefully taken from your house sir. We looked all over for a note, but couldn't find one. Toothless and Orli smelled the two of them in his room and that they left together. Their tracking the scent right now," Fishlegs told him.

"Were your able to pick up any trace memories of where they might have gone?"

"No your Highness too much time had passed. I didn't pick up any emotional distress merely sadness. I'm sure the Princess is fine."

The doors to the Great Hall swung open as Orli and Toothless charged inside. Both Nightfuries looked extremely anxious and were visibly upset. _"We tracked the scent to the beach. There was indentation in the sand were a small sailboat was. They must have taken it out in a direction away from the sentries because they didn't report seeing them sail by."_

_ "Why would the two of them sneak off like this? There both still injured. Hiccup is more practical than this. I can't imagine he would run off like this. Nissa isn't one to fool around either. If they left voluntarily why aren't they back yet?" _

"This is all my fault, I just know it. I was talking to her while she was asleep going on about how dangerous living here was. I was actually excogitate taking her back to Xanadu. She must have heard me and slipped off to see Hiccup. They probably went somewhere private to spend the day together before that happened. I shouldn't have said those things."

"We can blame ourselves later do you know where they might have gone? Did Nissa ever mention a place she liked to visit?"

"I can't remember. I never really paid as close attention as I should have when she would tell me about her adventures here before. Can you recall Hiccup mentioning a place he played at when he was young? No, we'll just have to search the area for their ship. Hopefully we'll find them before they get into serious trouble." Everyone had a grim expression on their faces as they silently vowed to find their friends before it was too late.


	5. Fantasy Fullfillment

The next day on Dagur's Atoll Nissa was staring unhappily at herself in the mirror. She and Hiccup were stripped of everything that made up their identity except for their crystal necklaces. She now wore a high collar black shirt with a gray, black, and white breastplate over it. She had a short gray with white apron like skirt and tight fitting black pants. Her boots were thick and gray barely hiding the bandages on her legs while the ones on her wrists were very visible. On her right arm was a galena forged armband to keep her in line. She also now sported a Valkyrie inspired helmet. In short she looked like a female Dagur. She wanted to shatter the mirror in front of her, but knew that if she did that her guards would run in to prevent her from harming herself.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in Hiccup," she called out knowing he was the only one on the island with manners to knock. Hiccup entered the room looking like a mini Dagur as well. "I can tell your not happy about the new looks or accommodations at all either. I thought for certain that Dagur would put you in his house. We should thank Odin we're right next door to each other." The stone homes were more like bigger version of their cell. There were three rooms with sparse furniture. There was no personality at all. No decorations on the wall, no personal items at all. It was a miserable drafty place.

"So what are you doing today? Dagur's forcing me to train with his men before I start my lessons on using their brains. What's he got you doing?"

"I've been instructed to work with the seiðkonur in the village to train them in my mystical arts. Its going to be rather difficult not to teach them at least one or two of my spells to them. It's going to be a long day."

The two of them were escorted outside through the village under the sneering gazes of their guards. No one would openly go against Dagur's commands, but some wondered if their chief had truly lost his mind by kidnapping the two scions, forcing them to become members of the tribe. Still the payoff for having such powerful and skilled members of the tribe would make them the deadliest tribe throughout the archipelago.

Nissa was led to the outskirts of the village near the far side of the compound. She saw a small group of women and young girls gathered by a fire. There was a protective circle drawn on the ground. An elderly lady with black and white hair in a gray tunic dress was leaning on a fir staff lecturing them. The woman's beady brown eye and sharp nose gazed from one child to the next making the kids squirm. She was holding rune stones casting them on the ground to foretell the future. Her harsh voice seemed to frighten the children as well as the adults. The guards grunted to announce their presences taking a step back when the woman croaked at them. "Yes? What is it?"

"Elder Inga we bring Dagur's betrothed to you. The chief has instructed you to let her sit through your lessons before teaching you and your students her mystic arts."

"I'm not your chief's betrothed!"

"Silence child, I don't know what magics you've used to corrupt our chief, but know they won't work on me. I see no reason to corrupt ourselves with the foreign worthless magic of this girl. Still, I won't ignore a command by the great Dagur. Tell me do you know what I'm doing?"

"Your casting runes for divination purposes. My people use a different method, but the results are the same och!"

"Enough, take a seat gentlemen on the bench over there. My lessons aren't for the ears of menfolk. You better not try anything girl or you'll be on the receiving end of my wraith," Elder Inga warned shoving Nissa to the ground next to the little girls. Nissa kept her cool reminding herself this was all part of the plan to find a way to escape.

"Now as I was saying magic is not a plaything. Magic is the energy all around us and the lucky few who can manipulate it carry a great power and responsibility. That is why we pass down the secrets of magic through the females for we are maturer then the men. We can use magic to foretell the future, curse our enemies and heal the sick. It's important to remember that magic always comes with a price. If you're careless with it you will injure yourselves greatly even wind up dead."

"Your elder is right. A short time ago I met a troll girl who used spell bead magic. She tried to force a spell to work and ended up hurting herself and dragon."

"There's no such things as trolls is there Elder Inga?"

The elderly lady frowned not sure what to say. She had never seen a troll, but that didn't mean they didn't exist. Instead she simply stated there were many mysterious in the world that had yet to be explained. The magic lesson continued for the next hour as the Elder demonstrated how to use the rune stones and gather magical energies. At the end of the lecture she forcefully grabbed Nissa's arm jerking the girl to her feet. "Alright girl; show us what you have. What kind of magic do you practice?"

Instead of answering the foreign princess just stood there smiling while spreading her arms wide. The sun shone brightly over her enriching her with its energy. Her necklace reflected the light as she cast her first spell creating a ray of light obliterating a target. With a few words in her native tongue streaks of rainbow light wrapped around the girls changing the colors of their clothes. Another spell redirected the sunlight over a struggling patch of vegetables making them grow healthy and strong. Canceling the spell she spoke with delight. "My people practice light magic. The sun is life without it we are nothing. The ability to manipulate its powers is one of awe and greatness. There is so much one can do with it."

"Changing the color of clothes is supposed to be amazing? Your power seems weak and useless. How can it help you survive an attack or curse your enemies like this!" Elder Inga shouted pointing her staff at the teenager. A bolt of magic was aimed at her heart. Nissa stood her ground creating a light screen absorbing the attack. Twisting her hands she gathered the light hurling the globes at the old woman who wrote a protection spell on the ground. The split second her eyes were cast down Nissa had jumped in the air reforming the light into whips. They wrapped around the seiðkonur wrist causing her to drop the staff. She pulled tightly until the old woman was on the ground tied up and helpless. Seeing the guards running over she canceled the spell.

"Elder Inga are you alright?! That's it girl you're going to get a beating for..."

"Don't lay a hand on the girl. I challenged her and she won fair and square. It appears your magic is stronger then I suspected child. You have great discipline and endurance to manage such high level spells for that long. Perhaps there is something you can teach us."

"I look forward to it."

While this had been going on Hiccup had spent his morning trying to stay alive. The Berserker men were brutal coming at him with swords, maces, and clubs trying to kill him despite Dagur's orders. With only his measly dagger and shield the boy was force to use his brains to survive. The only reason at this point he wasn't dead was because of his enhanced body. He blocked another attack parrying with his dagger. Seeing them surrounding him he decided to try a trick Gobber showed him. He rushed one of the men bringing his shield up nearly breaking his jaw. With a slight twist of the wrist he threw the shield like a discus using the domino effect to take out the rest of the men. He let out a sigh of relief as they all crumbled to the floor. "As I've just demonstrated one doesn't always need brawn to win a fight. Using my brains I've bested you all."

"You got lucky! In a regular fight that trick wouldn't work at all!"

"Your nothing, but a hiccup and an embarrassment. Why should we bother listening to you?"

Seeing red Hiccup snarled picking up a discard sword and pressed it against the man's throat. "Your chief made me his right hand man and adviser. If I could defeat the Red Death with nothing, but my wits then I think I've got the advantage. Luck is fickle, but brains save you every time. Now follow me. Dagur set up a classroom near the weapons storage."

The classroom resembled the set up from the Academy during trivia day. There was a large slate board with chalk and barrels for the men to sit on. Sitting on a bench near the board were smaller slates that Hiccup handed out. First he had to see how well the men could read. He wrote a simple sentence on the board. "Can anyone tell me what this says?"

"Isn't obvious boy? It reads the Berserkers are the greatest tribe in the world!"

"Um no, it reads the Berserkers are the most dangerous tribe in the archipelago. You need to look at the sentence carefully and sound it out to make sure it makes sense. Reading is a vital tool. You can learn an enemy's secrets or send coded messages to allies. Reading and writing also helps preserve our culture. Now would someone like to demonstrate their writing skills?"

Each of the burly men started shoving one another trying to get to the board first. Hiccup gave an ear piercing whistle to make them stop acting like children. He handed the chalk to the closet warrior asking him to write his name on the board along with a short sentence describing himself. It was a good thing he'd developed a lot of patience teaching Snotlout and the Twins as he encouraged the men who were painstakingly slow with the writing. Several made mistakes that he showed them how to correct.

The next part of the lesson was pairing up the men with a slate between them. He was going to lecture them on the flora of the different islands. One man would write notes of what he said and the other would have to read it back. Later they switch up as he talked about fauna. The Berserkers grumbled unhappily wondering why he was wasting their time teaching them to do this properly instead of dragon training.

Hiccup was starting to lose his patience. He dragged his dagger across the slate creating an ear splitting sound. "I understand that warriors enjoy a more physical activity. However there are no dragons here at the moment. Dagur promised to get some by next week so until then we are going to work on this. Now pay attention! The most common flora on the islands is..."

The two friends didn't see each other until dinner where Dagur forced them to sit next to him. The deranged chief had spent all day hunting wild boar. His kill was the main course along with a few vegetables from the patch Nissa had helped grow. "So how was your first day as members of my tribe? I'm sure that you had a wonderful time."

"The women of your tribe are quite gifted Dagur. The ones I met have great potential to become powerful seiðkonur given time. It will take awhile for them to master the basics of light magic."

"The same goes for the men learning how to properly read and write. I know it's not a skill you think is valuable, but considering Berk wasn't able to crack Mildew's code I'm sure that you'll appreciate their efforts to improve."

"Ha ha ha I knew that you two would enjoy yourselves here! Your settling in nicely. Soon the both of you will forget all about your past lives. Princess Nissa, I've tried to figure out the perfect date and I think..."

Nissa pressed her hand to his mouth quieting the boy. She smiled brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She was slowly building up a tolerance to the galena though not enough to use her powers. Instead she tried to use diplomacy to help herself out. "Dagur in my culture when one begins a courtship it is proper to wait three days before the first date. We need time to get a chaperone, plan a meal and activity. Don't forget you need to get me a gift. I need to find something nice to wear. I'm sure that someone of your stature would want everything to be perfect."

"You know something your right. Come on Hiccup, you're going to help me figure out how to make this date perfect ha ha ha!" Dagur laughed dragging the poor boy out of the room. She could feel Hiccup's annoyance through the bond so she promised to make it up to him. She shuddered to think of what three days from now would be like.

Three days later she was waiting patiently in the main room of her house for Dagur to show up. She had decided to forgo her armor instead settling for a simple short sleeve gray shirt and black and white skirt. Her hair tied back in a messy ponytail. She drummed her fingers on the table anxious to find out what the deranged teen had planned.

There was a loud rapping at the door. The guards pulled it open to slow as Dagur slammed the door and man into the wall. He wasn't wearing his helmet so she could see his shaggy black hair for the first time. He gave her a slight bow straightening up before thrusting a small brown package in her hands. "I hope you like it. Its something my men took from a trader during a recent raid. Hiccup thought it would be appropriate."

Instead of weapons it was a slim book about the different mythos creatures in the area. On the cover was a picture of a creature known as a huldra; a beautiful maiden with a hollow back and a tail that lured men underground for slavery. Surprised it wasn't a set of knives she thanked Dagur putting the book on the table. She linked her arms with his smiling at him. She could feel his body heat rise in close proximity to hers. "I'm looking forward to this date. What do you have planned?"

"Oh you'll see its going to be the best day of your life. I'm going to show you a tour of my favorite places on the atoll. After that a picnic lunch on the beach before I show you my home. We can even ick talk about ourselves if you want. Shall we?"

The princess paid close attention to how Dagur got out of his compound fortress making mental notes of the guards and weapons. The outside world was a welcome relief as she felt the breeze and smelled the sea. The grass was much thicker then on Berk. The paths around the atoll were not as well worn and one had to make constant compensation when walking on the hills. The wildlife scattered every time they saw a hint of the Berserker. Arctic terns took off without the grass for their nests, elk bounded down the hills, even the fish seemed to stay deep in the water.

The first stop on the tour was a secluded water hole with a log bridge, mud pool, and rope swing. The water was so dark it was almost black and it was freezing cold to the touch. A wave of homesickness threatened to cause tears as she recalled the hot springs of Xanadu. "This is the place the children learn to swim. Ah I have fond memories of the place. The other kids teased me about my father and my crazy temper. Oh the laughs I had when I nearly drowned them. Of course my father was displeased that I scarred the children so badly, but it was worth it to see the fear in their eyes."

"A leader should be respected and valued for his actions. I'm not trying to judge you or your culture, but my people have discovered its easier to rule if your friends with people. After all you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

Dagur shrugged off her words not understanding them at all. He instead took her to another spot. The place of his first kill. He had been hunting boar and had managed to split a tree in two. Miraculously the tree survived growing in two different directions though the area now resembled a battle field with poorly constructed topiary. Other spots they visited included his private getaway a shallow nook with a small stream and the bay with all the ships. They settled on the beach to have their lunch. Dagur had really paid attention to Hiccup's suggestions bringing lots of fruits to eat along with some fresh bread. The date seemed to be going well.

Nissa heard the guards stomachs growling. She felt sorry knowing they hadn't had anything to eat. Picking up a fruit pie she offered them a slice only for Dagur to grab her roughly by the shoulder yanking the food away. He seemed to be seething in anger at her actions. "What is the problem? I was just trying to be kind."

"This food is for us not them! I spent all this time preparing for this meal and you decide to waste it on them? I'm sick of people being kind! My father was so kind, agreeable, and let's not forget a fool. Look where it got him! Kindness is a weakness!"

"Kindness isn't a weakness its a great strength. If you would just listen to how it works with my tribe..."

"Shut up about your tribe! You belong to me now!" There was a loud crack and a thud. Dagur had hit her hard across the face leaving a bright red mark and nearly dislodging a tooth. She looked at him in horror and disgust. Kicking sand into his eyes she started running back to the village only to be pinned to the sand by the guards. She struggled trying to throw them off her shouting curses at them in her native tongue. When they were going to hit her again Dagur grabbed the guards wrists nearly breaking them. He ordered them to take her to his house and he be there soon.

Dagur's home was larger than the chief's house on Berk. The walls were decorated with trophies and weapons hung above the fireplace. The furniture in this house was uniquely carved with images of people going into battle. After being tied to a chair she waited for the deranged chief to show up. Through her mental link she knew Hiccup wanted to storm over and gut the teen chief, but she firmly sent through the link not to risk it. When Dagur entered the home with a bushel of flowers she spat at him. "Flowers aren't going to make this better Dagur. You think hitting me for a voicing an opinion is right then your gravely mistaken. In my culture striking someone like that would land you in a heap of trouble!"

"Don't you ever shut up? I ought to smack you again to show you whose chief around here!" He raised his hand to hit her, but the look of her eyes daring him to do so caused him to pause. He felt an unknown feeling, perhaps guilt, built up inside him. Maybe he had been to harsh with her. He cut her loose sitting down across from her gathering his thoughts. He didn't know what to say to her. She on the other hand had plenty to say to him.

"What's the matter with you anyways? I get that being deranged is your shtick so to speak and that you like hurting people, but I thought you wanted to earn my affections. Hitting me and treating me like a prisoner isn't the way to go about doing that. Do you even really care about me at all or I'm just prize for you to obsess over?" she demanded sharply. She moved her chair until she was directly in front of him hands folded on her lap. She tapped her foot on the floor waiting for a response.

"Of course your more then a prize, I may have gotten obsessed with you and Hiccup, but that doesn't mean I'm not sincere in my desires for the both of you!" Dagur protested loudly smacking the table causing it to jerk to the side. "You both agreed to join my tribe and to become my friends!"

Nissa rolled her eyes giving a low chuckle. She gave a snort jerking the table back into place. He was truly deluded. "Willingly? You forced us to agree to this to save lives! No matter how you word it or gloss it up we're still your prisoners in a cage. We're not free to do anything without being guarded round the clock. You stripped us of everything that made us individuals turning us into little mini yous. Dagur, do you even really know anything about being a friend? What do you know about Hiccup and I?"

Instead of answering Dagur stormed over to a cupboard on the far side of the room. He yanked the door so hard it nearly came off its hinges. He grabbed a few items storming over to the table dropping her half wrinkled clothes, her favorite book and Hiccup's journal on the table along with what appeared to be a rolled up scroll. He hastily unfurled it reading the contents out loud. "Hiccup Haddock likes working in the forges designing new dragon saddles and inventions to make life easier. He's come up with new designs on reforging broken weapons and has even designed new harness for helping children train with dragons. He hates cod, but loves halibut. His favorite activity when not riding his dragon is drawing the local wildlife. His favorite color is the moss green that matches his eyes. He has an especially dry wit. Princess Nissa is 18 years old, her favorite color is pink. She likes to wake up early to watch the rising of the sun as well as its setting. She enjoys reading and writing her own stories. She knows many different songs in three different languages. Her favorite food is mixed fruit cocktail."

Her eyebrows nearly went into her hairline. Dagur had done her homework as she held out her hand for the list of facts. He had done thorough research on both of them trying to learn as much about them as he could. She could partially sense his emotions sitting there watching her. As much as he wanted to dominate her he also wanted her approval. He really was trying to earn her affections. "You've gathered a lot of facts Dagur I'll give you that. That's all they are though facts, they don't really tell you who a person truly is deep inside. You know my favorite color and time of day, but not the reasons why or what truly matters to me."

He growled grabbing her hands making her look at them. He shook his head until his hair was out of his eyes. He desperately wanted to understand what she was going on about. "I don't understand! I know these things about you, I talk with you and I even spent time with you. I'm willing to start bonding with Hiccup so we can become good friends. I want him to be my friend and I want you to be my friend as well. What more is there to being friends? Ah you're as confusing and annoying as my father! I bet if he was here he'd be giving me a lecture once more telling me what to do and how to do it. He always thought he knew what was best, but I showed him! I have brought more glory and blood to the Berserkers in the last fifty years then any other chief! Friendship, love, family that just gets in the way."

Nissa removed her hands from his and got up. The guards moved to intercept her, but Dagur halted them. He watched as she made her way to half hidden chest near the fireplace. His heart was pounding as she removed the skin bringing it back to the table. Her eyes had a faraway expression as if she had learned something through his touch. She started to open the chest when he asked her to stop. Turning he ordered the guards out of the house. They protested until he threw two knives nearly slicing their heads open. After they left he watched as she carefully removed three small portraits from the chest.

"I didn't understand back on Berk how you could embrace death with such vigor. My heart was breaking when I talked about my parents being gone. To you it meant nothing, that I was being childish getting upset that they were gone. I didn't know it then, but now I do. You were masking your own feelings of sadness. Grief has a funny way of emerging in different people. When my parents, uncle, and cousin died my aunt lost touch with reality. She pushed me away and hurt so many people trying to replace what she lost. That's right Dagur; I know what its like to disappoint a family member by not living up to their expectations of being a good heir and child." Nissa stroked the first picture of a big muscle man with a double chin and wild blond hair and blue eyes dressed in Berserker gear holding a large shield. Standing next to him was a boy about fifteen who looked almost identical except for his nose being squashed and hair darker. Setting it carefully on the table she continued to speak. "I looked over that treaty a dozen times in preparation for your visit. I knew that Stoick and your father hadn't been signing it for fifty years. The treaty was originally written between Stoick's father and your grandfather wasn't it?"

Dagur spat on the ground before taking the portrait. He traced the faces with his hands, a perplexed feeling on his face. Taking out a knife he made a deep cut into the portrait marring the faces. "Olaf the Indecisive. One of the greatest Berserkers tribe leaders known for his battle prowess. Said he could sink three whole ships with one blow. Only problem was he couldn't really make up his mind. He started battles never leaving them finished or even got so confused he end up taking out his own men! He launched an attack on Berk intending to destroy the Hooligan tribe only to get lost on the way. Then he couldn't figure out which shore to attack from. Its said that the battle that followed was glorious with blood flying and Valkyries descending to take the dead away. In the end Berk had the Berserkers outnumbered three to one."

"So a treaty was proposed to stop the bloodshed. It must have been hard thing for your grandfather to do. Give up and accept peace. Was your father at the battle?"

"No, he was at home as acting chief. After my grandfather came back things changed. He was to worried about making another mistake to send us to war. So our warriors trained and we'd have skirmishes here and there. We kill dragons and did things to keep our image up. My grandfather's dying wish was for my father to bring us back to our glory. He was hesitant, he liked peace a lot. Still he was going to honor the deathbed wish. Then he acted cowardly and caved in!" Dagur shouted. He had held the middle portrait which started to crack in his hand. He tossed the offending item away only for Nissa to catch it. Though the paint was old and chipped with clear signs of vandalism she could make out an older Oswald holding hands with beautiful black hair brown eye maiden in armor. The name on the portrait gave her the title Olga the Spearwoman.

"Your mother, she's the pain I sensed back on Berk. She died when you were a baby correct?" Dagur nodded not speaking a word. "I sense heartbreak, guilt, and great sadness from this image. Your father was planning on attacking Berk that day he came for the treaty signing when you were a year old. What happened?"

Dagur started pulling at his hair growling and pacing. He looked like a trapped animal stabbing at the walls. He had so much rage built up inside that he finally let it out. "My mom was supposed to lead the attack on the far side of Berk! She'd convinced my father to pretend he was going to sign the treaty. He was to go on the tour and they would invade from the far side taking control of the village. She had five boats and hundreds of men. The plan would have worked if not for a daytime raid by the dragons. The armada was out in the open dealing with dragons. Some of Berk's fishing vessels saw the attack and came rushing in. The ships soon were at war with one another and the dragons. The fighting ended up on the island and when the carnage was over my mother was dead killed by an enemy sword. My father broke down like a coward begging for mercy. He signed that treaty instead of avenging my mother's death!" Dagur screamed

He ripped all the weapons off the wall throwing them into all the different trophies. He kicked until he broke the chair shoving it into the fire. He wrestled the last portrait of him and his father out of Nissa's hands hurling into the wall so hard it become stuck. The teen chief started hyperventilating, clenching his fists over and over. His eyes were wide as he gave the princess a half crazed look. "My father failed to honor his duty to his chief, tribe, and wife! He came back here a broken man and the Berserkers went years without bloodshed or war! He tried to control me force me to becoming something I'm not. He never listened to what I said always scolding me telling me I would understand when I was older. All I understand is that he was a weak fool who needed to be killed! I avenged the wrongs against my family! He said that I would never be a real leader, that I couldn't understand what it meant to be a man. Well he's dead and I'm in charge. I've done what he couldn't do!"

"Then why are you still seeking the approval of a dead man? If you hated your father so much Dagur why do you keep these portraits? If you think he was a fool then why are you trying so hard to prove him wrong?" Nissa helped Dagur sit down and took his hands in hers brushing a lock of hair out of his face. She gave him a half smile trying her hardest to form a bond with him. The galena was interfering making that impossible.

"Whether your willing to believe this or not I think killing your father hurt you inside more then your willing to admit. You've seen how Hiccup and Stoick made up becoming a real father and son. You'll never have that even though you want it. I don't pretend to understand the inner politics of Vikings or how one should react to what is a dishonor in someone's eyes, but this I do know Dagur. Your father loved your mother and you very much. His heart never healed after losing her. In grief our family members tend to see the lost loved ones in the living. You resemble your mother greatly. I believe he couldn't bear the thought of losing you as well which is why he tried to teach you peace. Not saying he was right or wrong, but that's why he did it. Maybe you should think about that. I'm going home now. Goodnight." Kissing him gently on the forehead she exited the house being escorted by the guards home leaving a confused and bewildered chief to contemplate her words.

The next day Nissa found a note nailed to her door. Dagur was giving her the morning off so she could do whatever she wanted. The guards wouldn't show up until that afternoon when she was expected to help out the farming with her light magic. The note also said she was to have a private dinner with him that night where they were going to talk more. Her front door opened and in walked Hiccup wearing his old clothes holding a similar note. He gave her a wiry expression before sitting down on her bench. "What exactly happened yesterday between you two? The entire village is wondering why Dagur is so disconsolate. He hasn't even threatened the livestock today. He also said he wanted to have a bonding experience with me this afternoon by going fishing. The gossip is that you used your Dragon Heart on him. Did you?"

"I'm still trying to build up a tolerance to the galena. I can barely use our bond let alone forge a new one with Dagur. All I did was be myself. I guess he wasn't expecting someone to stand up to him. Have you had breakfast yet? I have fresh bread and some fruit."

"Sure, I have some fresh milks and eggs from the farm yesterday. Give me a few minutes and I'll have some scrambled eggs for us to enjoy." He made his way over to the stove grabbing a frying pan. He cracked the eggs enjoying the sizzle humming a little tune. Behind him Nissa set up the table and brought in fresh flowers from outside. She found some butter in the ice box spread it on the bread, slicing up the fruit. She poured the milk pulling out the seats. A few minutes later Hiccup slid the eggs on to her plate. The two of them silently gave thanks to their respected deities before taking their first bite.

The eggs were delicious and the fruit was sweet. The milk was soothing down their throats and the bread was soft. They heard birds chirping and the scent of the flowers soothed their minds. In the five days since their arrival for the first time they felt at peace. Maybe they could get through this ordeal. After finishing their breakfast they did the dishes in silence and even cleaned the house a little such as sweeping out the sand she tracked in yesterday. Once they were certain they weren't being watched they decided to compare notes.

"Thank Odin I finally got my journal back. A rendition of the compound will make it easier for us to plan an escape. I've drawn a basic layout of the village marking specific points. So I've been in the weapons shack and its fully stocked however the door tends to stick. If I can jam something under it they shouldn't be able to get to them. There is a secondary weapon shed, but its further away near the back of the compound. I've managed to figure out the guard rotation on the top of the fortress and there's a few patrol throughout the night. The patrols through the village aren't heavily armed, but they are fast. It would be a challenge trying to outrun them. I hate to say it, but they've gotten a lot smarter since I started teaching them."

"In combination with their skills as a warrior and Berserker rage increase their attack power it would be suicide to attempt a frontal attack. From my observations the fortress is heavily fortified on the inside and outside. The ships are guarded around the clock. Elder Inga has some magic power, not as strong as mine yet I might not be able to win a fight at night. The women in the class aren't as adept and the children are weak. Still they are ingenious making use of anything as a weapon. The non magical ones are dangerous and full of tricks. It won't be easy to defeat them. Then there's Dagur."

"Oh yes the deranged chief. We know how handy he's with a weapon and he's not hesitant to slaughter his own men if they displease him. He can command the entire army with a simple signal. He has the advantage of knowing every inch of the island and surrounding waters. His obsession with us is also a factor. It could affect his judgement. There's no telling how he react. Do you think you can still talk him out of keeping us prisoner?"

"I'm not sure he's mind is very unstable. He's got a lot of issues to work through. I'll try my best, but it might not be enough." They both looked at the floor downcast. Even if they somehow managed to get out of here the galena armband was locked onto Nissa arm and she was pretty sure he spread the gem all over the atoll. Without dragons or her ability to manifest they would be helpless on the open waters. No matter how they looked at it they couldn't leave without help and soon. The longer they were held here the more chances they let Nissa secret slip or Hiccup would be forced to train dragons to prevent them from being killed. The question was how to get help without alerting Dagur. As they thought about how to do it Nissa looked at the sand outside her eyes widening. A crazy idea was forming in her head. It was a long shot at the best, but it was their only hope.

On Berk the last five days had been Hel for everyone. The longer Hiccup and Nissa were missing the more likelihood they were dead. It hadn't been until the second day that the riders had stumbled across Hiccup's Hideaway. They had found pieces of a boat and few snagged pieces of cloths on some bushes. They had identified the cloth as belonging to Nissa and Hiccup. Gobber's sense of smell had also determined that the boat pieces did belong to the missing sailboat, but they still had no idea where the two teens were or who had taken them. The Honor Guard had descended upon the island searching every square inch for clues to the abductors, but had found nothing. It was very discouraging indeed.

On Berk in the Great Hall Queen Rayna was wringing her hands and pacing back and force. Sitting at nearby table Stoick was talking with his men. He slammed his fist hard on the table shouting curses when he learned that they were no closer in breaking Mildew's code correspondence. The man in question was slipping further into death. Healer Skerry, who had arrived yesterday, was with him in the prison now checking him over. He was going to attempt to enter the broken mind and if possible repair it. Short of that he was going to try to extract the cypher to his code.

The doors to the Great Hall burst open as small little figure darted in nearly overturning a bench startling many members of the tribe. After being momentarily trapped under a table Lumina wiggled over to the leader's table jumping onto Rayna nearly unbalancing her. The female Daypeace grabbed the squirming Skrill holding her at arm's length to prevent being scratched by her talons. "Lumina, what is it? What's wrong?"

_"You and Stoick need to come to the jail quickly! Gothi says that Mildew is going to die soon!" _ Without hesitation the two leaders made their way to the jail. Inside the tiny cell Skerry and Gothi were examining the old man. Orli and Toothless were outside the cell growling in anger. Toothless was furious that his chance to make the man pay for his crimes would never happen now that death was approaching naturally. Orli tried to sooth her mate's anger by reminding him they would get a chance to make Hiccup's kidnappers pay once they found his and Nissa's whereabouts.

Healer Skerry stood up bowing slightly at two leaders. "Thank you for coming so quickly. Gothi came to check on Mildew only to see he had drastically deteriorated. I've checked him over and I believe is body is going to give out soon. I can't be sure why. I suspect his brain was physically damaged during Nissa's assault on it."

Stoick frowned clenching his fists. Taking a deep breath he asked, "With your superior medical skills can't you repair it? He can't die until we've gotten what we need from him."

"Chief Stoick our people may have figure out how to transfuse blood and perform minor surgery, but we are not knowledgeable about every medical aspect there is to date or will be. The brain is a mysterious organ. Even if we were back on Xanadu I wouldn't know where to begin with examining his brain."

"How long does he have until he expires in your opinion?" Rayna asked softly.

"At the most until nightfall. My Queen, even at the best of times its dangerous to attempt to enter a fractured mind. If I was to attempt to retrieve the information before its lost for good now I'd be risking my death."

"I know that Skerry, but the circumstances are dire. Please you must attempt to try to get the information. I'm begging you please. It might be Nissa's only hope."

"Very well Your Highness I will try. Pray to Helios this will work." Healer Skerry returned to the cell. Goth gave him herbs to strengthen his powers. After thanking her he placed his hands on Mildew's temples. Taking slow deep breaths he focused all his power into his Dragon Heart forcing a link into the man's fractured mind.

_Skerry found himself in a fractured and dim version of Mildew's home. The world around him was cold devoid of any warmth. There was no sign of Mildew himself. The house shook violently causing the world to splinter even more. Pieces of the house vanished before his eyes. He didn't have much time. _

_ Skerry maneuvered around the house searching for the chest where the notes had been discovered. The cypher had to be inside. He stumbled over the remains of a dragon getting a flash of a memory of Mildew killing it. A piece of the roof came crashing down nearly hitting him. He jumped out of the way his eyes scanning the room. There on the fireplace! He hurried over to the chest opening it up. He started to remove the documents committing their facts to memory when he was hit on the head. _

_ "I won't let you win you monster!" Mildew shouted. The inner psyche of the man was barely standing on his feet and had blood trickling out of his ears. His eyes were blinded and he was gasping for breath. He took a step closer towards Skerry raising his staff as a weapon only to fall to the ground in a heap. The house started to vanish at an alarming rate. Skerry had no choice, but to exit his mind._

Skerry's eyes opened as he gasped for air. Sweat was pouring down his face and his skin was almost pure white. Next to him he saw Gothi checking Mildew for a pulse, but finding nothing. She listened for a heartbeat, but there was none. She shook her head. Mildew was dead.

"Blast it! I was hoping to kill the traitor myself!" Stoick grumbled. Toothless also let out a roar of anger. His vengeance had been taken from him. Only Queen Rayna kept her cool imploring Skerry to tell her what he found.

"I was only able to get some partial facts including half the cypher. It will make decoding it easier," Skerry panted. He took a sip of water from the jug offered to him by Gothi. After a few swallows he continued. "Mildew was amassing quite the collection in preparation to defend himself. Seems he had been holding out information from the other tribes and wanted protection should they attempted to harm him."

"Did he reveal our secrets to the other tribes?"

"The only thing he gave them was our Dragon Heart ability. He didn't know anything about the Gateways and figured that the other tribes would think he was nuts if he told them about drakis." The queen let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Thank the gods for small miracles.

"What information did he give away? Does he know who was after my son and the princess?"

"All I can say for certain is that we shouldn't suspect Alvin of the crime. Mildew's memories indicated Alvin was only interested in Hiccup and dragons. Other tribes were interested in Berk's secrets and dragons. Only one tribe was asking for information on both Hiccup and Nissa. Before you ask I don't know which tribe. Mildew's mind was collapsing at that point and I had to get out. Hopefully with the cypher we can figure out which tribe was after both of them. Then we can plan a rescue mission."

_"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get decoding! I'm not going to rest until my best friend is back here safe and sound. That's a promise!" _ Toothless said as the others agreed with him. Nothing was going to stop them from bringing the teens back.


	6. Deranged Courtship

It was the next morning on Dagur's Atoll. The sounds of fighting could be heard in the training area. Most of the village had turned out to watch this particular session. In the week since Dagur brought his prisoners to the island the Berserker tribe was slowly adjusting to their presence on the island. It was an ongoing transition as they still fully expected the prisoners to attempt to escape from the compound which was why no one had let their guard down. Still the tribe was slowly warming up to the newcomers. The children enjoyed listening to Nissa's stories about her life on Xanadu. Hiccup between lessons would sketch some of them even giving them to the kids. While still not friends with the adults they could hold a conversation between them without difficulty.

The most astonishing change, as witnessed by most of the village now, was that in their deranged chief. Dagur was still crazy and loved throwing knifes at people. His duties as a chief kept him quiet busy. The only difference was that he was actually acting nicer to his men. He wasn't threatening to crack open their skulls or bleed them dry all the time. Even stranger is he actually _apologized_ to some of the women in the tribe for his past transgressions against them. No one knew if they liked this change in him or not.

At the moment Dagur was having a friendly spar with his new friends. Yet he was getting his butt handed to him because it wasn't a weapon's spar. No, the great and powerful Dagur, had actually asked Nissa to teach him tai chi! Hiccup had learned some of the basics and was enjoying the chance to learn more. At the moment Nissa was winning the fight between the boys. Hiccup came at her with a combination called high pat on horse. First he turned his left palm to the side as he bent his knees a bit. Pulling backwards he stood on his one good leg pushing forward with his right palm ready to strike her down.

Nissa countered by touching his right wrist lifting it up and then pushed him to the side. As he stumbled she went after him pushing down with her leg hooking his prosthetic and tripping him. Hiccup sprawled all over the floor; his prosthetic locking up. There was no time for her to press her advantage. She had to duck and twist around as Dagur came after her with the combo he learned that morning. It was called single whip. His arms circled around building up power to throw a right hook followed by a push from his left palm. Nissa brought up her arms blocking his attack with her forearms. She forcefully turned forcing his arms down leaving him open for attack as she brushed his left arm with her wrist before striking him in the chest with a right punch. Keeping up the attack Nissa continued with a combo known as turning heel kick. Twirling around she brought up her heel striking Dagur in the head knocking off his helmet.

Hiccup had recovered and was coming at her. Nissa started to strike at him, but he used the grasp the birds tail by warding off her attack and then rolling backwards on his feet before pushing forward with both palms. Nissa was shoved a few feet back trying to regain breath control. She grinned proud that Hiccup had gotten the upper hand for once, but he wasn't about to win this fight. Taking note of Dagur's oncoming approach she decided it was time to end this fight. Raising her arms slightly she twisted her right foot adjusting her stance as she grabbed Hiccup by his arm. Twisting her body to the left she flung the boy into the charging chief sending them both flying into the wall. They crumbled in a heap of limbs struggling to get free from one another. Nissa clapped her hands strolling over to them.

"Congratulations to the both of you! Your combos flowed very smoothly. Hiccup, you managed to actually push me back! That's the first time you've managed to hit me during a spar. Dagur, for someone who thinks my fighting style is weak you have a natural talent for it. Not even Hiccup picked up combos as fast as you did. With a bit more training I think you could master the first level," the girl praised them. Seeing the boys still tangled up she whistled for the guards to come over. They grabbed the boys by the shoulders and started pulling them apart. There was a screech and yelp followed by a ding, but finally they separated the boys from one another.

Hiccup looked down at his prosthetic noting the minor damage to it. The joints seemed to be locked in place not allowing him to bend it at all. He would have to make some repairs if he wanted to walk normally again. This would actually give him the excuse he needed to get into the forge for their plan to get a message out for help. "Thanks for the praise Nissa, but we knew you'd kick our butts. Nice job on locking up my prosthetic. I can barely stand let alone walk."

Dagur let out a laugh at the comical sight before him. Hiccup looked so silly trying to stand up on his own. "I can't believe it, you got bested by a your own leg! Ha ha ha that is so funny! You look like a training dummy standing straight up like that. You can't walk at all can you? Hmm, let's see maybe I should just knock you over like one!"

Hiccup let out a snort and hobbled over on one foot dragging his leg with him. His balance was off so he wobbled a bit. He stumbled falling only for Dagur to catch him and help him stand back up. "Thanks Dagur, that was generous of you. I need to fix the joints in the prosthetic. Think you could give me permission to work in the forge for a bit? I need to make replacement parts."

"Can't my smith just pound the joints out? Better yet can't Nissa fix it?"

"It's a delicate device that requires precision and eye for detail to function properly. Besides, it's not Nissa's area of expertise. Come on, if your that worried that I'll pull something you have Bulk and Hulk to keep an eye on me remember? Do they know anything about forging stuff?"

"Please, their more likely to end up burning their own eyes out then making anything useful. Tell my smith you have my permission to use the forge. If you need any help ask him for it. I have to deal with some issues around the compound so I'll see you later. Nissa, would you like to accompany me on my duties? As my future wife you'll be responsible for helping me in my duties around the village. I'm sure that as a princess you have plenty of experience dealing with difficult people."

"No one can be more difficult than you Dagur. I'm joking! Come on this could be fun," Nissa said. She gave a wink to Dagur and sent a mental message to Hiccup. He nodded patting his pant's pocket assuring her he had the material for their plan. The two friends went their separate ways.

Dagur was very excited almost skipping about as they strolled through the compound. He got a silent thrill from holding Nissa's hand feeling her warmth. The best part was she wasn't struggling to get away from him like last time. He hoped that this time he wouldn't screw up. "Hurry up, stop dragging your feet we have a lot of work to do. I have to negotiate a dispute between neighbors, assign two boys apprenticeships, not to mention check on the progress of special surprise. I'm sure that you'll love it dearly princess." He gave her a crooked smile and a deranged laugh. Ignoring the calls of his bodyguards he took off running half dragging her with him nearly causing them to trip over some cats and dogs running loose.

The sounds of loud arguing could be heard as they neared the residences where the neighbors were arguing. Clangs of metal and thuds of wood echoed in their ears. Turning a corner the two could see specks of blood scattered across the scruffy grass. Two muscle men, one with a scared eye and the other with a half torn ear, were trying to stab the other one with their swords. Their wives, both on the plump side with matching braids, (though one was blond standing next to the scared eye and the brown haired one was with the other), were punching and biting one another. Dagur was laughing at the sight clearly entertained. He was reaching to grab his knife to get the two families attention when a loud piercing whistle stopped the arguing.

Nissa had her hands on her hips taking an authoritative stance. Her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned as she surveyed the damage to the two houses. The fence between the stone buildings was shredded to pieces, shutters torn off and she could see the start of a hole in one of the roofs. Clearly these two neighbors had feuded for awhile. "Alright that's enough bickering. I think its time to work out your differences with the chief. Since I'm helping him out today I'd like to know your names please."

"Why should we listen to an outsider like..." scar eye started to say only to have a knife nick him in the arm. Dagur calmly was flipping another one whistling a tune. Frightened the man backed down and started over. "My name is Jack Frozenburg and this is my wife Holly. _They_ are Nickolas and Katrina Northernpole."

"Pleasure to meet the four of you."

"I'll take it from here princess, let you see how a man handles this." Dagur swaggered over shoving the two neighbors apart drawing a line in the ground telling them neither could cross to the other side. Wrenching their weapons out of their hands he tossed them half haphazardly into the doors. Letting loose some spit, he crossed his arms speaking once more. "Alright I've been getting complaints for over two weeks about the feud between you two and my head is about to split in half. So what exactly is the problem here?"

"The problem is that Northernpoles think they can do whatever they want whenever it pleases them! My wife and I have been kept up many a nights with the sounds of their music being played! Nickolas thinks he's so good at playing his little langeleik, (a type of zither with one string plucked or pulled to create sound), but he's the worst! He can't carry a tune at all and Holly nearly went deaf listening to Katrina singing off key all the time!"

"How dare you insult my music! You're the ones who have to carve everything all the time! I can hear you sawing, chipping wood all day long. The smell alone from your creations drying in the sun is enough to make me puke! Your wife's cooking stinks almost as bad!"

"How dare you insult my cooking skills you son of yak!"

"At least my husband isn't a clumsy oaf like yours!" The two neighbors were about to start attacking one another only for Dagur to grab them all by their heads cracking them together. Shoving the men to the ground he pressed his feet against their throats while his bodyguards restrained the struggling women. Nissa leaned against the broken fence watching curiously to see how he would handle this.

"While this is all very entertaining I have more pressing matters to deal with then listening to your complaints so here's my solution. Jack Frostenburg, you are going to take some music lessons with our resident music master so your playing doesn't hurt anyone's ears. Your wife can take a voice lesson or two from Nissa here to see if she can improve. If she can't then she'll never sing again. Northernpole I want you to start carving your wood in the business distract with everyone else so the sounds and smells don't bother your neighbors. The wife can take a cooking lesson from some of the other women. Hopefully that will help out. I don't want to hear anymore fighting or some of you won't have your hands anymore. Clear?" Dagur demanded. The neighbors nodded so he released them. Smacking his hands together at a job well done he took Nissa's hand escorting her to the next priority on the list.

"Did I impress you with my skills as a leader? My father would have demanded they talk it out or work together to solve their problems. Ha, all that would have done is create more headaches for me. My solution is so much simpler and the threat of amputation always gets results fast."

"True and your solution is a good one though I think you could have done without the threats. Your starting to impress me Dagur with your leadership skills. Perhaps there's hope for you yet." With that kind of encouragement Dagur nearly fainted in delight. He was finally getting on her good side! He was determined to earn her affections by the end of the day. Because of that desire he actually listened to the families of the boys he was supposed to apprentice. Originally he was just going to have both become boat builders yet after listening to them he decided against that. One boy would start work in the forge and the other help out at the farm with the animals. Hearing Nissa praise him made him blush and feel tinkly inside.

Dagur was so excited he didn't think anything could go wrong that day. He decided to share his surprise with Hiccup because it affected him as well. Hiccup was almost finished with his work in the forge. There was a lot of hissing and steam with the sounds of fire crackling. Hiccup was busy chipping at something with his tools. He glanced up at them giving them a quizzical glance. "I wasn't expecting the two of you. I'm almost finished. I just need to complete the shape and set it aside to harden."

"Hmm what are you making exactly Hiccup? I don't think I recognize what you're doing."

"Well, I finished with fixing my leg, so I thought I work on a surprise project. It's just something I picked up on a visit to Xanadu. I'm making some colored glass objects. I was going to make it a surprise, but you caught me. Hmm you'll just have to wait a little longer to see exactly what I've made for us. I'll just let these cool for now over here where no one can break them. So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise for the both of you. Here I'm going to blindfold you two. Oh this is going to be so much fun! I guarantee you'll both thank me for this." There was much anticipation for what the surprise was. As they got closer the sounds of pain mixed with fear filled the air. Unable to wait any longer they ripped their blindfolds out and gasped in horror.

Dagur had brought them to the Berserker's modified Kill Ring which he was turning into his own academy. He had cleaned up the blood stains and hidden the weapons, but there were still chains all over the floor and no food, water, or shade provided for trainers and dragons. The cages were almost to small for the captured dragons who were chained and muzzled. Several Berserker guards were poking the dragons causing them more harm.

_"Get me out of here!"_

_ "Stop hurting my wings!"_

_ "Leave my babies alone you monsters! Oh this is worse than when you wandered off."_

_ "Why are these humans so mean to us?"_

"Do you like your surprise? I told you I get dragons for you to train. So when can you start? Heyyyyyyyyyy!" Dagur found himself pinned to the floor by Hiccup with his own knives. Nissa was calling out to the dragons trying to reassure them that it would be okay only to find out her calming abilities were blocked. She tugged furiously at the galena armband, but it refused to budge. Throwing her helmet at the guards she ripped the weapons out of their hands as Hiccup started checking the cages. He let out a cry of disbelief.

"Torch! Oh man what did they do to you? Shu its okay it okay! Ah calm down I'll get you and your family out of this. Hey you're the same Scauldrun as before! Oh man what happened to all of you? Nightmares, Gronkles, Zipplebacks. Is that a pack of Smothering Smokebreaths?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. He took in how many dragons were crammed into cages. All of them were sporting wounds across their bodies and looked half starved. His fury was growing along with the shimmer of his necklace. He was starting to shape shift.

He wasn't the only one whose special power was unlocking. Nissa stopped trying to remove the band as her eyes started to sparkle. The world around her changed, she was still seeing normally, but now she could see a colored energy field around the dragons and people. She instinctively could tell what the colors meant and understood how to change them. She drew closer to the dragons, while Hiccup in his changing state, schlepped Dagur towards the cages roughly depositing him in a heap in front of them.

"What is your problem you two? I thought you be happy to see the dragons considering how much you missed them! I told you I get dragons to train!"

"You didn't say you were going to torture them! Take a look Dagur half of these dragons have serious injuries that could compromise their survival. Some of them are just babies, babies! Have you even fed them or gave them water since you brought them here? You had your guards hurting them and chaining them up as if their monsters! How do you expect to earn their trust if you treat them like beasts!"

"That's what they are! It's no different then training a dog!"

Hiccup snarled wanting to use his claw like fingers to tear Dagur a new one only for Nissa to stop him. She turned the chief around speaking in a tightly controlled voice. "You can't understand them, but we can. They're frightened, confused, and in a great deal of pain. You said you knew our necklaces contained special power well I just unlocked mine. I can see the dragons auras."

"Auras? What are auras?"

"Auras are the energy field that surrounded all living creatures reflecting their physical and spiritual health. Healers can use these as guide to making someone feel better. For example," she pointed at the mother Typhoomarang and her babies. Torch and his siblings were hiding under his mother who was whispering assurances to them. She tried to blast them, but the muzzle made it impossible for her to do so. She roared at the approaching princess swishing her tail around. "I can see the mother's aura. Its brick red indicating she's angry with a tinge pink representing her love for her babies. Also mixed in there is mix of navy blue and dark storm cloud gray. Those colors indicate fear is growing inside her causing her body to get physically sick."

She dragged him to the Scauldrun cage. The poor dragon was practically dry and had patches of scales missing and its horn broken in half. She wished she had some water to give him or some food. "His aura is black over his horn and scales. It means that part of his body is dying and he might never forgive you for doing this."

She brought him to the cage with the Smokebreaths. She took some bread from the guard tossing at them watching them fight over the scrapes. "Their auras are flickering between green and brown indicating their hunger and mistrust. All around you the auras are badly mixed up. Dragons are intelligent beings who deserve your respect. You can't force them to fight for you Dagur, no matter how much pain you put them through. They would rather die then serve you."

Dagur started to feel the tiniest of fear as he felt the eyes of the dragons on him. Their roars, hisses, and pounding was shaking the cages. He could sense the anger rolling off them and granting Hiccup power. He was starting to resemble a mix of the dragon species barely holding onto his humanity. He didn't want to get into a fight with Hiccup in this state ending up like Mildew. Pushing himself off the ground he asked, "Okay I get it! You can't train them right now! How would you get them to trust me?"

Hiccup started to speak then stopped tried again and couldn't. On the one hand he wanted to free these dragons get them as far away from here as possible, but if he did that then Berk and Xanadu would be attacked. Then these dragons would be killed. He would have to try to delay training, but right now they needed help. He willed his shape shifting away as he calmed down. "First you could feed them and give them water. All dragons love fish and the occasional treat of chicken. The Scauldrun enjoys blue oleander and the Typhoomarang eats eels. All dragons occasionally like some berries mixed with vegetables when their sick. The hatchlings will need more than the adults and they drink yak milk in a pinch."

"It be best if the children tended to the dragons needs, their less likely to attack hatchling then an adult. You need to make the cells more comfortable. Bring in slabs of rock, tree branches and grass for them to make nest. Have the guards enter weaponless. Hiccup and I will tend to their injuries. We'll need soap, bandages, medicines. Its going to take awhile for them to acclimate here. Your going to have to start from scratch if you want their trust."

Dagur nodded ordering his men to bring him the supplies. He didn't know why it hurt so much having Hiccup and Nissa turn their back to him as they started talking with the dragons attending to their needs. He was jealous seeing how the same dragons were willing to give the two of them a chance, but wouldn't let him near them. He silently vowed one way or the other he'd make it up to all of them. He'd earn their trust again no matter what it took!

A day and half later the prisoners were still not talking to Dagur. They would acknowledge him if he talked to him and do whatever they were told, but beyond that they refused to interact with him. They spent much of their time at the Kill Ring tending to the needs of the dragons. Many of the children were frightened unwilling to get close enough to help care for the dragons. Yet a few brave souls were willingly to work with them overcoming their fear. No one had been attacked or harmed though it was still to soon for the dragons to trust anyone. Training them wouldn't happen for a while.

As the afternoon sun started to beat down on him he was getting increasingly frustrated as he watched the two best friends go about helping the dragons. His hands were tight around the caged dome as he twisted the metal. He stamped his foot like a petulant child. Finally it became too much for him as he flung himself into the ring from above. Drawing his knifes he flung them at the two, who had been feeding Torch and his siblings, pinning them to the wall. "I've had enough of this! I'm your chief and I demand that you two stop ignoring me!"

"Ignoring you? All we've done for the past day and half is making sure the dragons you hurt are healing properly. Excuse me if that takes precedence over having a conversation with you or doing a fun activity."

"Watch your lips Hiccup or you won't have them anymore. As your chief I believe that your duties to the dragons are finished for now. I want you back at my house right now. There's a list of things that need to be done around the village and I need your help. So I suggest you start moving right now or I'll just have to have a little fun." The glint in his eyes combined with him juggling his knives left no doubt in his mind what fun he had in mind.

The trio made their way back to Dagur's house in silence. Nissa and Hiccup were holding hands communicating mentally with one another causing Dagur's temper to rise even more. The people and animals of the village went out of their way to avoid the fuming chief as he kicked over barrels and bellowed at everyone asking them what was so funny. One little boy wasn't fast enough tripping over a rock. The deranged chief didn't notice until he toppled over landing flat on his face. The boy looked up frightened slowly inching away. "I'm...sor...sor...sorry great Dagur. I wasn't... watch...watch...watching where I was going!"

"That's obvious you little runt! I'm going to make sure you remember that lesson next time!" Dagur raised his knife intending to stab the boy in his leg only for someone to grab his wrist twisting it so hard he dropped his weapon. He felt a painful pinch to the ear causing him to kick his legs out in agony.

"That's enough out of you. Honestly what has gotten into you Dagur? Being deranged isn't the same as being cruel now is it?" Nissa hissed into his ear. Hiccup was helping the kid to his feet telling him it would be alright. After making sure the boy got to his mother he turned to Dagur with an incredulous look on his face.

"Torturing me during our encounters is one thing, but that kid is a member of your tribe. He's going to be one of your warriors so I think you need to apologize for nearly maiming him."

"Dagur the Deranged never apologizes! Ow ow ow! Alright I'll make it up to the kid I promise! Let me go!" Dagur rolled to the side getting free of Nissa's grip. He was seething as he shoved her backwards only for her to do the same to him. He was getting angry ready to yell at her and she just stood there hands on her hips her lips thin waiting for him to yell at her. Throwing his hands up in the air he grabbed her throwing the shocked girl over his shoulders carrying her back to his home with Hiccup running to keep up. Once inside he tossed her to the floor, kicked Hiccup in the back, locking the door behind him. He ripped a sword off the wall bringing it to rest near their necks. "What is the matter with the both of you? I've given you a lot of freedom. I agreed to your ridiculous terms and have treated you with more respect then you deserve! I've made every effort to make your transition here pleasant and still you defy me. Why?"

"Respect and trust are earned Dagur not bought," Hiccup said as he grabbed the blade in his hands redirecting it into a chair. He brushed off the dirt from his pants as he stood up. Nissa did more than that as she let out her own screams of frustration kicking at everything on the floor. She was tired of the constant fear and threats. Ignoring her best friend she picked up a pitcher throwing it into the fire causing a small explosion before she sat down in huff by the table. Dagur and Hiccup joined her as the glare off began. Neither side was willing to talk to the other as the silence filled the room.

Nissa broke the silence first raising her voice as she spoke. "Do you honestly think I'm happy here Dagur? Your using me as if I'm nothing more then a tool and don't deny it! What would you have done if I refused to share my magic or take care of the dragons? You just going to hit me, force more galena into my body? Did you even consider asking me if I wanted to help you out with your little village neighbor problems? Not that I mind helping out, still it would be nice to be asked."

"I shouldn't have to ask you to do anything! I'm your chief and betrothed! Ugh, I'm following your ridiculous courtship ritual in trying to win your affections remember? I've been more then accommodating to you considering you refuse to divulge all your secrets. How can I trust you if you won't tell me more about your people other then abstract thoughts? How can we grow closer if your constantly trying to change me from who I am. I'm a deranged Berserker with a taste for blood not some wimpy peace loving fool."

Nissa snorted rolling her eyes turning away in disgust. He really didn't get it did he? "I'm your prisoner, your prize, not a person in your eyes. I won't betray my people to someone who thinks kidnapping is the proper method of proclaiming your intentions. As for changing you, can I help it if I don't want to see people get hurt because your having a tantrum?"

"I don't have tantrums!" Dagur pounded the table splitting it in half making him appear even more child like. "Why is it I have to respect your culture, but you don't respect mine? A relationship works both ways doesn't it? If you want to have the galena off or me to not threaten people so much what about seeing things through my eyes? I have to be deranged, threatening, and cruel at times! I'm a Berserker! Have you even tried to do things my way? No, you resist me at every turn! You're a hypocrite!"

"You're a brat! You act so childish when you don't get your way."

"Well you act as if you're as old as Elder Inga. What's the matter never thought of having a little fun or is being a proper prick more important?"

The two of them were about to start brawling right then and there when Hiccup stepped between them holding them back. He shoved them both back into their seats rolling his eyes as frowned. Honestly it was like dealing with the Twins. "What's the matter with you two? You both are acting like children! I know your angry and frustrated, but that's no reason to let your tempers get the best of you. Can't we just get along?"

"Why don't you stay out of this Hiccup, your no better then her."

"What's that suppose to mean Dagur? I've done everything you asked and more."

"Then why won't you consider me your friend as well?" Dagur practically screamed as he hurled his helmet at the teen who dodged it. He took several deep breaths trying to calm down and when that didn't work started cracking his knuckles again and again. "I'm frustrated with you Hiccup. I try to be your friend. I asked your advice about Nissa, I taught you about fighting and we even sparred together. Wasn't my gesture of returning your notebook a sign of friendship?"

"It's not that simple Dagur considering our history together. It's hard being your friend considering how fast your moods change. I feel as if you're trying to force this friendship to happen instead of letting things naturally occur."

"How long am I expected to wait until you want to be my friend? I didn't ignore you for fifteen years like your friends on Berk did. I'm willing to try ick drawing sketches remember? I gave you complete reign over the dragons knowing you could turn them against me at any time. I trust you so I expect trust in return."

There was a silence on all three sides as they all mulled over each others words. It was extremely difficult for Hiccup and Nissa to openly trust Dagur considering he'd kidnapped them and force them into this situation. His efforts to be nice to them, even do the things they like was valiant. The two knew that they could try to accept his ways a bit more often or do what he wanted. Maybe they needed to start over so to wipe away their previous feelings of anonymity. It was decided that tomorrow they would have a "play date" of sorts in an attempt to begin anew.

The next day the friends met for their play date. It had been decided that they would each plan an activity to do with each other. Since Dagur was chief he got to go first. He decided that their activity would be one of his favorite; practicing his knife throwing at targets. It was never a dull moment and occasionally he got the chance to nick his men by "accident." The trio had gone to the range to have a little friendly competition.

Dagur inspected the knives carefully testing their balance and weight. He frowned when saw tiny imperfections in the blades discarding those. He showed Nissa how to properly hold the knife using a hammer grip. He instructed her to place her thumb on the spine of the knife to control her aim. He also repeatedly told her that her wrist had to be absolutely stiff when throwing, otherwise she'd get uncontrollable rotations. The next step was to show them slowly how to throw the knives so that they would fly to strike their targets.

"Remember your stance throughout the throw is crucial if you want to hit the target. the stance: your right foot is the back one with your left foot in front, the gap between the two is about two feet. The heels are on a line. Make sure both knees are bent, especially the front one. The weight rests primarily on the ball of your back its important to remember to keep your arms straight and pointed at the target," Dagur told them as he demonstrated. Hiccup and Nissa copied his stance, (Hiccup in reverse since he was left handed) waiting for their next instruction. "The right arm now makes a round and smooth swing to the back while keeping the knife is even behind the head. Then it swings forward towards the target, like you wanted to chop off some branch between you and the target. While swinging forward your weight shifts the front foot, the chest. It's important that the right shoulder does not move; it remains in a (tilted) line with the left. As the knife arm is about in line with the left one and points exactly to the target, quickly let the knife go and snap your fingers back together. Do not stop the swing of the knife throw, go on with the movement."

As he finished speaking he let loose his knife. There was a sharp zing as it sailed through the air and distinctive thud as it lodged itself in the target. Dagur couldn't resist showing off as he grasped four knives at once giving them a wide spread through hitting the rest of the targets dead center. His men retrieved the knives handing them back to their owner. Dagur carefully inspected them once more bringing out his sharpening stone to fix the tiny imperfections. "It's your turn to try. I have the targets at the shortest distance. Don't be ashamed if you don't hit the target the first try. This is an art form after all."

"An art form you say? Well I guess if knives are your medium then its a painful art. Okay let's give this a shot," Hiccup said. He took his stance holding the knife correctly. He picked a target focusing on a specific point. Taking a deep breath he shifted his weight tossing the knife only to have it fall short of the target by at least two feet. He tried again once again falling short of his target. He flushed bright red as Dagur laughed at him.

Nissa wasn't much better though she did manage to hit the bottom of the target. Encouraged by her success she tried only this time her knife hit the legs of the target. She got frustrated that she wasn't getting this. Her superior senses should make this easy to pick up. She tried again hitting the outside rim of the target. Nissa stamped her foot in displeasure. "What am I doing wrong? It can't be that hard to throw a knife at a target. It's not even moving!"

"Ha ha ha you two crack me up. It's a lot harder than you thought, why do you think I practice on my men all the time? It's so my skills don't dull! Here let me help you." He walked over physically adjusting Hiccup's stance forcing his legs apart and adjusting his head so he lined up with the target. He gave him a lighter knife to make it easier. "When you pick spot remember to move it a little to the left of your aim so when you throw the knife rotates there. Try again."

Hiccup did what he said moving the target in his mind. He followed through with the motions keeping his wrist stiff. This time the knife hit the target though it stuck in the top. Subsequent throws inched him closer to the bulls eye though he never quite got there. Nissa, with a little help from Dagur managed to finally hit the center with her last throw. Dagur smiled and laughed pleasantly asking them if they had fun which they responded in the positive.

Hiccup planned their next activity which was sketching. He made sure they had plenty of charcoal pencils and even had some berry dye so they could add a bit of color to pictures if they wanted to. They were sitting under one of the tall fir trees in the compound watching the hustle and bustle of the village. Hiccup told them to pick something and sketch it to the best of their abilities. He was soon lost in the joy of simply doing something he loved so he wasn't aware of Dagur's displeasure until out of the corner of his eyes he saw the teen snapping his charcoal pens. "Hey, what the stop that! Do you know how hard it is to find the right charcoal piece that won't break when your sketching?"

"This is the stupidest and most boring activity imaginable. I can't understand why anyone would want to waste time drawing stuff when they could be doing something fun like hunting or climbing a tree."

"Your just upset because it's not something your good at," Nissa teased. She set her paper down and scooted over to see Dagur's sketch. Honestly it looked as if blind yak made it with his tail considering the image. "What were you attempting to sketch exactly?"

"I was trying to sketch that bird over on the roof, but he keeps moving! Maybe I should pin it down so it doesn't move so much." Hiccup took his knife from him and gave him a new piece of paper to draw on. Handing him a charcoal pen dipped in red berry juice he pointed at a nearby flower pushing itself through the ground. "You can't be serious. You expect Dagur the Deranged to draw a puny flower?"

"Most people start with something simple. A flower isn't that hard to do. Give it try Dagur." The chief grumbled under his breath, but did as he was asked attempting to draw the flower. He had some difficulty with the petals having to constantly erase what he did. At one point he was ready to tear the paper in half only for Nissa to take his hand gently guiding him so that his picture half way resembled his model. When they were done Dagur was grinning proudly at his little flower sketch. "Not bad Dagur it actually looks like a flower."

"Thanks Hiccup, yours is impressive. You sketched the Great Hall with perfect accuracy. Nissa yours is lovely too. I never thought someone could sketch my guards so accurately. So lunch and your activity?"

"Yep and I'm positive you guys will like it. I originally wanted to teach you guys to play chess, but that's not possible without a set of pieces so onto my next idea."

Nissa idea for a fun activity was for them to write poetry. Both the boys were unhappy as they were unable to get the words to flow right. Hiccup tried to come up with words that rhymed while Dagur outright refused to do any writing. It wasn't manly activity in his mind. Nissa frowned scooting over to his side. "You have to at least try Dagur. Its part of being a good friend."

"Writing is for girls. I feel silly trying to come up with a poem. I'm a warrior whose deeds are sung not some scholar."

"Writing things down helps them last longer then they would if you just kept them alive orally. Try it please. I know you could come up with something great." Dagur tossed his writing utensils to the ground refusing to try. He didn't understand why this was so important to her. "I just don't get what is so fun about writing stories or reading. For example your short poem is about the beauty of the Atoll. I just don't see it. You're point of view is so off it makes you seem to be a weak fool."

"Oh no you shouldn't have said that to her," Hiccup moaned. He knew that look in Nissa's eyes. It meant she was going to lecture Dagur through song. Closing his notebook he helped the teen to his feet ignoring his expression. "Trust me just follow her and go with the flow. By the end of this you'll understand."

Nissa started humming a tune loud enough to be picked up by some men and women who were taking a break by practicing their instruments. Hearing her tune they started to play filling the air with music. People stopped and stared as the young lady started to sing her song; its words echoing inside each of them.

_"You think I'm just an ignorant savage._

_ And you've been so many places; I guess it must be so. _

_ But still I cannot see, if the savage one is me._

_ How can there be so much that you don't know?_

_ You don't know... "_

Nissa led them trio up onto the catwalk of the fortress. She gazed out upon the island taking it in. Dagur and Hiccup joined her looking at the world around them as she started to sing once more.

_"You think you own whatever land you land on_

_ The earth is just a dead thing you can claim_

_ But I know every rock and tree and creature_

_ Has a life, has a spirit, has a name."_

The next place they found themselves was at the Dragon Ring. She approached one of the cages, the one with Torch's family. His mother eyed the girl suspiciously and growled a threat at Dagur who had his hand on his sword. Nissa took the sword and gently tossed it away. Hiccup unlocked the cage and they went inside Dagur watching in awe as he was able to get close enough that Torch would let him pet him. As he was in awe Nissa continued to sing.

_ "You think the only people who are people_

_ Are the people who look and think like you_

_ But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger_

_ You'll learn things you never knew you never knew_

_ Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon_

_ Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned_

_ Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain_

_ Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?_

_ Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"_

The group found themselves outside the compound playing in the grass and rolling around in it. They moved towards Dagur's private nook and he was smiling and laughing. His whole mood had changed as he listened to the words of the song.

_"Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest_

_ Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth_

_ Come roll in all the riches all around you_

_ And for once never wonder what they're worth_

_ The rainstorm and the river are my brothers_

_ The heron and the otter are my friends_

_ And we are all connected to each other_

_ In a circle in a hoop that never ends."_

They were back in the compound next to the messenger birds. Hiccup let them loose seeing them fly to top a nearby tree. He gestured to all the village having Dagur take it all in. Nissa placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him some dirt watching is sift through Dagur's hands. He looked at the two with an understanding as the song finished.

_"How high will a sycamore grow?_

_ If you cut it down then you'll never know_

_ And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon_

_ For whether we are white or copper skinned_

_ We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain_

_ We need to paint with all the colors of the wind_

_ You can own the earth and still_

_ All you'll own is earth until_

_ You can paint with all the colors of the wind."_

"You know I think I'm finally starting to understand the two of you a bit more. Is this what it means to be friends?" Instead of answering the two just clasped their hands in his letting him know silently that the three of them were starting to form a real bond of friendship.

It was nearly dusk when the trio made their way to the docks. The last of the fishing vessels was coming in with their biggest haul yet. Dagur needed to speak to a few of the captains along with his patrol boats to learn if their waters had been breached by the Berkians. "Welcome back men, by the looks of things you managed to catch the whole ocean ha ha ha! The smell of freshly caught halibut makes me smile."

"It makes me want to gag ugh!" Nissa moaned wrinkling her nose. She took a step back from the dock putting some distance between her and the nets. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hiccup make a subtle hand sign and pat his pocket. She nodded knowing what he wanted. "If its alright with you Dagur can we go watch the sunset on the beach? Hiccup would love to see it with me right?"

Hiccup nodded his head. "You know sunset is good time to be looking for sea glass on the beach. I noticed that the rest of the tribe liked the glass bowls I made earlier this week. Maybe I can forge something else for trade."

Dagur thought it over for a few minutes before giving them permission to go. He decided also they could be trusted a bit more so he only assigned them two guards instead of the usual four. After that was concluded he turned back to his captains. "Have there been any signs of the Berkains entering our waters?"

"No and none of the other tribes have dared to try. We've seemed to scare them off with all our recent skirmishes. The men are a bit disappointed that they haven't had a chance to spill blood as of late. Having us capture the dragons instead of slaying them has made them very unhappy."

"They'll forget how unhappy they were once we're flying high in the skies. Think of how much terror we can inspire as we destroy entire tribes from the sky! I would love to be there on Outcast Island when someone finally ends Alvin's life. That man is a beast onto himself! Ha ha ha!"

"True Deranged One. I was wondering if you had reconsidered your previous orders not to allow Trader Johann here. True with our recent raids we don't need a lot of supplies, but it would be good for village moral. You know how excited everyone gets when Trader Johann arrives. Those new glass items Hiccup forged would fetch us many treasures."

"Precisely the reason we can't have Trader Johann on this island. Trader Johann is a neutral party to all the tribes thanks to his position, but he would still feel an obligation to inform Stoick where his son was along with the princess because of their friendship. I'd hate to have to behead him when he has his uses. If trading with him is so important then I'll let some of the tribe meet him out at sea," Dagur compromised. He wouldn't risk losing his prizes not after the time and effort he'd invested in them. If today was any indication it was that his guests were finally starting to come around with living here.

Further down the beach Nissa and Hiccup were searching the sands on the pretense for sea glass. Their guards were behind them nearly getting knocked over in the surging tide. As they fell over or got stuck in the wet sand the two friends knew this was their best chance to get a message out. Bending down in the sand near the water's edge Nissa whispered, "Did you bring it?"

"Yeah, I nearly had a heart attack when Dagur and you showed up at the forge. Its a good thing I made a few decoy pieces so he wouldn't notice this piece," Hiccup replied glancing left and right. He removed a small red bottle from his pocket. Etched on the side was the symbol for Daypeace and tucked inside was a note written in Nissa's native language. The note contain the barest of facts such as where they were, Dagur's plans for them, and the fact he had dragons. Pricking their fingers they let a few drops of their blood fall into the bottle before corking it. "I still think this plan of yours isn't going to work. I know we talked about a long shot way to get help, but this is way out there."

"Its our best chance considering everything. Hiccup, we know Trader Johann is nearby thanks to Dagur asking you about what he should invest in. What he's not aware of is Johann's two new traveling buddies; twin Terrible Terrors Hugunn and Murrun. They like finding shiny treasures and once they smell our blood they'll alert Johann so he'll take it back to Berk. Its a long shot for sure, but we don't have any other options. You ready?" Hiccup nodded and the two entered the surf splashing around. In the fading light of the sun Hiccup hurled the bottle quickly into the ocean. Thankfully the guards missed it having just got unstuck from the sand. They silently prayed the bottle would make it to Johann.

The message in the bottle floated through the ocean currents getting tossed about. A pod of traveling whales swam right passed the bottle. Their echolocation blasts struck the bottle nearly shattering it somehow though it remained intact. As the bottle floated freely in the ocean for awhile its course was altered once more as the evening winds raised the sea causing sever waves. The bottle was pushed down to the depths only to surge back upwards and be tossed about. Back and forth back and forth it went as it ended up in a cross current being tugged further out to sea. A seagull diving for a late night snack accidentally snagged it. When it found it couldn't eat the bottle it kicked it back into the ocean. Throughout the remainder of the night the bottle was tossed around or got caught in a current. As the first rays of the sun rose above the ocean the light passed through the glass causing it to shine. Minutes later two red and purple Terrors snatched the bottle from the ocean bringing it back to their friend.

"Thanks to you my little friends. You found me a beauty I can sell this, for hey why are you, stop scratching me like that! What has gotten into you? It's just ah ugh what's this? A message in a bottle? Hmm is that blood I wonder? We need to get this to Berk right away!" Johann exclaimed as he finally pieced together what he had picked up.

Something was off that morning on Dagur's Atoll. The air was thick with tension and unrest. Hiccup and Nissa could see it in the way that everyone was acting at the morning meal that something was up. Had Dagur discovered their message? Were they about to be locked up again or worse killed? Neither one of them could concentrate on their meal unable to enjoy it all.

Dagur was deep in thought as well musing over something in his mind. Yesterday had gone so well, he actually believed they were starting to form a bond between the three of them. Even though it had only been a week and half since their arrival he felt as if the two scions had been part of his tribe all along. Much of the tribe had learned to accept them, but there were still those who were holding out until something more official occurred. It was because of this pressure that Dagur decided to go forward with his plan ahead of schedule. Clinking his glass he got everyone's attention. Standing up tall and straight he addressed his whole tribe. "Berserkers I've an important announcement! As many of you are aware I've been unusually merciful with our guests accommodating them. Certainly the Berserker way would have been to torture them until we got what we wanted, but I've seen the results of being patient and compromising. Not that I do it all the time mind you!"

The villagers laughed slapping one another. Meanwhile Hiccup and Nissa stopped eating looking curiously at Dagur wondering where he was going with this. "As many of you know Hiccup and Nissa have yet to formally join our tribe which is what I'm going to change. First, I will officially set up a betrothal between myself and Princess Nissa so we may start planning our wedding. Second I will schedule an oath ceremony so that Hiccup may swear allegiance to our tribe. I hope that by doing this I will have set the elders failing minds into ease. Now go about your business. Elder Inga will you please remain behind? I need you as one of my official witnesses."

Nissa had gone very pale and looked like she was going to faint at any moment. Hiccup was holding her up whispering reassurance. Inside he was feeling his stomach knot up. If he swore his loyalty to the Berserkers he couldn't return home unless it was as a prisoner of war. He couldn't let that happen or have Nissa marry Dagur. Viking divorces were messy business indeed not to mention he was pretty sure the deranged chief wouldn't grant her one. "You know Dagur, I don't think you've thought this one all the way through. How are we supposed to follow betrothal customs? Nissa has no kin here to represent her interests or negotiate the betrothal contract. How can we possibly offer a _mundr _up front or a _morgen-gifa_ for when this wedding actually takes place? It's not like we can go to Xanadu to secure a _heiman fylgia_ to support her. This _handbal_ wouldn't be official."

Dagur laughed a bit as he played with his knife. Next to him his men also chortled while Elder Inga simply looked bored by these proceedings. "Oh Hiccup you slay me. You consider yourself Nissa brother correct? Then you can represent her interests in these proceedings. I know this isn't the typical way we go about this, but these are unusual circumstances after all. Princess Nissa, you have no objections to these proceedings or Hiccup being your representative correct?"

Nissa could barely lift her head to look at the chief. She was lost in her own thoughts knowing she couldn't go through with this. She knew that nothing she said would make Dagur change his mind on this. After all he was obsessed with making her his. The best she could hope for right now was for Hiccup to represent her interests and hope they found a way off the Atoll before the actual wedding. "Its fine by me if Hiccup represents me. I have no problems with it."

"Excellent! Shall we begin. Now I understand that typically the _mundr_ (bride price) is eight ounces of silver, but since you don't have any money I thought we could work out a trade. Your glassware was extraordinary. I was thinking that you could make some more of it for trading. I bet Johann hasn't seen anything like it before. Imagine the treasures we could get for it!" Dagur had little stars in his eyes as he thought about it. Glass was a rare commodity in the archipelago and if they had an exclusive line of it the money would just come pouring in. The Berserkers would be the deadliest and richest tribe in no time at all.

Hiccup agreed to make eight colored glasses for trade in exchange for getting the money for them. He promised to use his skills in the forge to craft new weapons for the tribe along with training a dragon for Dagur as the _morgen-gifu_ (morning gift). Elder Inga promised that the she would personally see to it that the women of the tribe donate a portion to Nissa's _heiman fylgia _(dowry) to support her. The wedding would take place in a month and half once the weather became warmer. Hiccup's oath ceremony would take place in two weeks though so he could officially oversee the wedding preparations for his "sister". Once the rest of the terms had been worked out Dagur and Hiccup swore an oath with the witness signing the contract. It was official now, Nissa was Dagur's betrothed. As the two friends looked at each other they didn't need their bond to tell them they needed to escape and soon.


	7. Hostage Wedding

It was an hour after the betrothal had been made official and Nissa wasn't responding to any stimuli. She was listless and quiet, pretty much ignoring everything around her. In her mind her thoughts continued to cycle around and around making her more depressed by the minute. She couldn't marry Dagur. It wasn't because she didn't love him; she was starting to see him as a potential friend. The problem was that if she married him she be forced to stay forever here never to return to Xanadu. Her people needed her to help maintain their nature and to keep the island intact. It was her responsibility to carry on the traditions of Daypeaces keeping their legacy going. To her knowledge she couldn't reproduce with a human and the thought of being married to someone she hadn't even bonded to was cruel.

"Nissa? Nissa? NISSA!" the voice jerked the princess out of her thoughts and she looked up startled falling backwards. In an instant her surroundings came into focus. She was outside near the forge where Hiccup had been working on creating some new glassware. She had been dangerously close to the fire which is why Hiccup had alerted her to the danger. The guards had stood around doing nothing. Now they were rushing over to help her up and roughly examining her; checking to make sure she hadn't hurt herself.

The emotional Daypeace didn't like that one bit. She let out a roar and kicked them in the shins. Snatching a mace from the weapons table she swung it with all her might. The guards went down hard nearly being brained to death. The commotion brought more people hurrying over to the forge causing more stress. Nissa went on the offensive swinging her mace striking down the men in the arms, the chest, and even gave a few good kicks to the groin. Her eyes were wild, hair messy, and sweat was starting to trickle down from all over her body. She panted hard digging deep into the soil. Hearing footfalls behind her she raised her weapon ready to strike down her foe only to be tackled to the ground. "Get off me! Let me go!"

"Nissa calm down its me! Focus on me its going to be okay!" Hiccup shouted. He was on top of her pinning her to keep her from flailing around. He tried to keep calm reaching out with their bond pouring all his feelings of serenity and peace into her. He felt her starting to relax as she stopped struggling. "Take a few deep breaths. In and out, in and out. You'll be okay."

"What's going on here? Who did this to my men? Hiccup why are you on top of Nissa?!" Dagur growled a dangerous look in his eyes. His hands were itching towards his knives ready to carve up someone. Hiccup slowly backed off his best friend. She pushed herself to her feet dusting off her clothes. She picked up the mace she had used and handed it over to Dagur who was confused.

"Deranged One, your betrothed went crazy. We only tried to help her after she fell, but then she began to go wild on all of us! Look at what she did to us! I can't even feel my arms because of her!" one of the guards complained. It was true the guards had been disabled and the other men had open wounds with blood dripping. It looked like one guy had a broken arm.

Dagur appraised the situation a grin on his face liking what he was seeing. He knew that when backed into a corner Nissa could be quite dangerous, but he hadn't seen her rage before. "Looks like you caused quite a bit of damage to my men. Elder Inga is going to have her hands full for the time being dealing with their injuries. What could have possessed you to react this way?"

Nissa didn't want to talk about it instead looking away ashamed by what she had done. She didn't mean to hurt anyone she just wasn't herself. Hiccup gave her a hug letting her know it was okay. She tensed up, still a bit agitated, then relaxed knowing she was safe. A look of what could have been compassion was forming on Dagur's face. "You've been through a lot this morning with our betrothal becoming official and setting our wedding date. I think you need time to process it. Hiccup, take her home and make sure she takes a hot bath. That should calm her down a bit. I'll check in on you two later okay?"

Hiccup nodded gently taking her in his arms. He guided her back to her home making her sit on the bed while he got out the tub. He filled it with hot water making sure it wasn't boiling. He told her to get undressed and soak for awhile. After using a rug as a make shift curtain he pulled out his notebook going over their notes. They couldn't wait any longer for help to come, they needed to escape today. "I know your intentions weren't to hurt anybody, but its a good thing you disabled the guards and injured some the men. Our chances of escape just went up considerably. Elder Inga will be busy attending to the wounded meaning she won't be able to help prevent our escape. The other seiðkonur aren't nearly as powerful correct?"

"Their magic is weak I'll admit, but the problem is that they are still very organized and have that supernatural rage to boost their power. I can handle a few of them, but the more there are the harder it gets. Especially if we're going to be escaping after dark during the changing shifts," Nissa remarked from behind the curtain. Her energy levels were returning as the water seemed to revitalize her. She tried manifesting her hand to see if she had built up a tolerance to the galena. Her hand rippled for a few seconds as it started to turn scaly. Unfortunately she couldn't maintain it as a wave of dizziness came over her. She stopped what she was doing before she lost consciousness.

"Still can't manifest can you?" Hiccup called out sensing her attempts to change. He was frustrated hoping Nissa would have built up a tolerance by now. If she couldn't fly then that meant they would have to fly out on another dragon. "The plan was always to free the captives. Their still pretty wild not trusting anyone. You think one of them would give us a lift?" He listened as he heard sounds of Nissa getting out of the tub. She seemed to pondering his words as she dried herself off on the scratchy fur towel. She put her outfit back on and came out from behind the curtain. Without a word they both picked up the tub and tossed the water outside letting it soak into the ground causing a gurgle of sounds.

The sounds sort of reflected their situation as they sat down together by the fire. They both watched it flickering about crackling as if it were alive. Slumping forward on the bench the girl let out a sigh. "I'm not sure about the dragons. At this point I'm not sure of anything. I was certain I was getting through to Dagur. He seemed to slowly coming to terms with issues with his father. He wasn't keeping those emotions bottle up inside. He also seemed open to change."

"He was making a lot of effort to be a real friend," Hiccup commented recalling their play date yesterday. He had actually had some fun with Dagur seeing that he wasn't as crazy as he thought he was. He actually could be reasonable once and while, even open up to new ideas. "He was listening to my advice. Torch even let him touch him yesterday and I never though that would happen. So why the sudden rush to marry you or make me swear my allegiance?"

"Because as much as he is changing in part to our presences he still has to maintain his image. It goes against his nature to appear weak and coddling for to long. The tribe respects him and fears him, but their trust in his judgment was waning. The elders of the tribe were encroaching on his dominance. He couldn't handle the pressure so he decided to act to keep his control. He's posturing so to speak; letting everyone know that he's the big man." The analogy was accurate. Their attempts to get him to change had worked to an extent. They simply had run out of time to get him to let them go.

Hiccup lifted Nissa up by her chin seeing her downcast. He knew she felt like a failure, but she wasn't. She had managed to get Dagur to change a bit; something even Oswald the Agreeable couldn't do when he was alive. "You can't be weighed down by your feelings. The risks are to great to be worrying about how you let the deranged teen down. We have to escape tonight. I don't want to think about what could happen if we fail. Can I count on you? Good so let's go over our strategy."

On Berk everyone, human and dragon alike, had assembled in the Great Hall. In the past four days anxiety levels had grown exponentially. One would think with a partial code it would have been easier to figure out who got what information, but it hadn't. The code retrieved from Mildew's shattered mind was bits and pieces of an unknown alphabet. Trying to match up the new runes with the old ones when it was uncertain exactly which runes to use made decoding harder. Not to mention there were tons of notes to go through.

"I'm bored, how much longer do we have to do this?"

"Until we figure out who was asking about your cousin and Nissa dolt! Ugh, Vikings don't usually keep such meticulous notes. I can't believe Mildew was the exception to the rule."

"He was betraying us Astrid. If he was doing the same thing with all the other tribes then he needed to make sure he knew which lies he was telling."

"Fishlegs has a point as usual. Ugh that doesn't mean that this is any easier," Ruffnut grumbled. She looked down at her paper before tossing it away in disgust. She couldn't handle anymore reading at the moment. It was making her head hurt. Barf nuzzled her and she scratched his chin feeling a bit better. Next to her Tuffnut was doing the same with Belch's head. He had a frown on his face and was absentmindedly fingering his necklace.

"You don't think Hiccup and Nissa are you know..?" Ruffnut hit him hard in the head at the suggestion that their friends weren't alive. They had to hold out hope. But with almost two weeks passing since their disappearance hope was starting to fade.

At the main table Queen Rayna and Stoick were arguing with the Honor Guard about a translation error while Gobber and Skerry did their best to keep their leaders from doing something they would regret. "You need to calm down your Highness, remember your blood pressure."

"Don't tell me to calm down Skerry! If we don't find my niece soon I don't know what I'll do, but I promise something is going to be destroyed!"

"This is taking to long, can't we translate any faster? We know that it wasn't the Outcasts, Meatheads, or the Hysterics who requested information on my son. If we can just figure out if it was the Berserkers or Murderous then we can set sail!"

"Stoick, yelling at the men doesn't help solve the problem any faster. You need to calm down and take a few deep breaths. We need to approach this; what in the world is that sound?" Gobber interrupted himself. A strange roar was heard coming from outside. The two Nightfuries perked up their ears at the sound recognizing it as the cry of a Snaptrapper. Confused why a sentry would be on the island ,Toothless and Orli rushed to the doors pushing them open and jumping backwards, as a Snaptrapper flew in. Clutching onto one of the necks for dear life was a flushed and woozy Trader Johann.

"Oh boy that was a rush. Remind me never to ride on fear class dragon again bleahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

_"What's going on? Why is Johann here? Shouldn't he be traveling closer to the other tribes shores now?" _Orli asked looking at the Snaptrapper for an explanation. The four-headed dragon appeared exhausted with all heads drooping. The scales were extremely dry and its stomach rumbled loudly indicating it hadn't eaten at all that day. Toothless dragged over a basket of fish and Meatlug nudged a bowl of water over so the dragon could recover. The other dragons sat on their haunches awaiting an explanation while the humans tended to the trader.

_"Thanks, the Terror twins told us it was urgent that the human reach Berk as quickly as possible so we flew at top speeds. They found something in the early morning hours floating in the ocean. According to them its a clue to where the missing teens are." _ All the dragons let out a roar of surprise upon hearing that. Toothless rushed over knocking Johann off his feet searching for the clue only to have Orli pull him back gently. Stoick helped the man up and to sit down at table.

"You'll have to forgive him we've been worried for nearly a fortnight about the fate of Hiccup and Nissa. You found something that might tell us where they are?"

Johann nodded pulling out the bottle handing it to Queen Rayna. "My traveling companions fished that out of the water around dawn. I was going to trade it when I notice the note. I knew I had seen that symbol on the bottle before when the teens rescued me a few weeks back. Nissa had it on one of her necklaces. The note is written in a strange language and there were drops of blood on it. I figured that the kids had thrown in a long shot effort to call attention to themselves."

"Where did you find it?"

"About five miles from Dagur's Atoll, that's the new name for Berserker Island." Upon hearing that everyone in the room grew pale. They recalled Dagur's visit to the island vividly remembering how he nearly killed Barf and Belch. He had mentioned he'd been in contact with someone about the dragons on Berk. Steinar and Ula shivered as they thought back to how the deranged teen had looked at their princess with lustful eyes. The riders had seen how impressed Dagur had been by the new Hiccup. Reviewing the month or so of stalking the Berserkers did fit the model of who could have done everything and not be caught. It only took a few minutes to confirm with Mildew's notes that the Berserker chief had switched from demanding knowledge about Berk before focusing squarely on Hiccup and Nissa.

"This is bad, beyond bad actually. Berserkers play for keeps and if Dagur has become obsessed with two of them he's not going to hand them back without a fight. By Odin he might kill the both of them if he thinks he can't keep them. Oh how did we end up in this mess?" Gobber asked out loud.

"Your Highness, what does the note say?" Davan asked. Rayna was gripping it so tightly her Honor Guard feared she tear it in half. Gently Isak took the note from her hands as Kariat and Ywla helped her sit. Rikard got her some fresh juice urging her to drink it. The Honor Guard studied the note frowning as they read it. "It appears that they didn't have time to write a complete note. This only has the barest of facts."

"It appears that Dagur took them because he desires Hiccup as his new right hand man, possibly his best friend. The Princess was taken to become his eventual wife," Fia said. When the shouting started she snapped her fingers loudly getting everyone's attention once more. "Thank you. For the rest of the note it says they're guarded constantly and that there's galena all over the island, Nissa's forced to wear a galena armband. Worse, it seems Dagur has dragons."

"That deranged wild teen chief has the guts to not only break the treaty by kidnapping our heirs, he believes he can assemble a dragon army without us retaliating? This is unacceptable! I refuse to stand here and do nothing. We're going to Dagur's Atoll and getting our children back!" Stoick bellowed slamming his fist down on the table breaking it in half. Snotlout and the Twins were already talking about how much fun a real air battle would be. Rayna was muttering under her breath as she described the tortures she put Dagur through including disemboweling him or burying him alive.

A loud piercing whistle followed by a serious of fireballs forced the rage in the room to go down a bit. Astrid, Gobber, along with the dragons and Gothi had a firm expression on their faces and were holding their arms folded up. Gobber, who wasn't known for using his brains, tried to be the voice of reason. "Stoick, Rayna, I understand that your feeling a rage unlike any other. I also want to skin those Berserkers alive for what they've done, but now is not the time to rush in foolhardy without a plan. The Berserkers have a whole armada and highly skilled bloodthirsty warriors who can use that unnatural rage to fight beyond normal limitations."

Gothi wrote something in the sand her face displaying a small bit of jealousy. Lumina translated the squiggles. _"Gothi says that the women in the Berserker tribe are unusually gifted in magic. Her counterpart Elder Inga has enough power to kill a man with a single spell. "_

"From what we know of the village they have a nearly impenetrable fortress with a multitude of weapons and traps. Fishlegs told us how weak the Daypeaces get if there near galena. Forget about revealing your secrets to the Berserkers what if you get stuck in one form? If we're fighting dragons in the air and the Honor Guard needs to revert to human form and can't then what do we do?" Astrid questioned them.

_"We're not saying we won't attack them. We just need the perfect plan so that we get Hiccup and Nissa out safely. This is going to be a war and its best keep the causalities to a minimum. So, what's the plan?" _ Toothless asked as they all sat down to discuss strategy. One thing was certain by tomorrow night they would be at war no matter what.

It was shortly after dinner time when the best friends decided to implement their escape plan. Dinner had been marinated elk combined with fresh mead so the Berserkers would be lethargic and slow. When asked for his opinion Hiccup had advised Dagur against stationing guards near the Kill Ring to show the dragons he was trusting them not to break out. It would also be the first night they weren't constantly under guard. Hopefully it would be enough to help them get out.

The moon was a pale sliver in the air and a gentle breeze blew out a few of the torches plunging the village further into darkness. The patrols that night passed through the village at a slower pace. Some of them weren't even carrying weapons as they made way through the village. Not one of them noticed as two figures crawled up through the skylight onto the roof. Hugging the roof they jumped across the house tops careful not to make too much noise. When they reached the end of the row of houses they slid down the side crouching in the bushes as they waited for the patrols to pass by.

"Okay, we have a small window to get to the ring and free all the dragons. To ensure our success we need to cause a distraction. Can you do a small spell with the moonlight?"

"Its going to be tough with only a sliver. I'll try, but I'll make no guarantees about this." Nissa closed her eyes and focused her inner power. She reached out with her magic feeling the pale moonbeams power connecting with it. With one hand on her gem necklace and the other outstretched she increased the power of the moonbeams. The shafts of lights scattered across the village in a weird dance. The light show startled several villages as they cried out about monsters or the displeasure of the gods. "That should keep them busy for a bit. Hopefully Elder Inga can't undo my spell. Let's go!"

They rushed out from their hiding place skirting around the moonbeams dancing. Hearing sounds of footsteps they pressed themselves against a nearby wall. After hearing them pass by they hurried down the path only to come to a halt midway down. Their were guards in front of them about to raise the alarm. Taking the initiative they struck first. Hiccup caught the guard on the left by surprise knocking him off balance. He did a sweeping kick causing the big man to fall on his back. The guard angered took thrusting his sword in a wide arc which he jumped out of the way. Drawing his dagger out he moved in plunging it into the guy's shoulder twisting it. Blood started squirting out as the man dropped his sword. Hiccup kicked him hard in the face knocking him out.

Nissa, who had used her tai chi to disable her guard, looked at Hiccup with a new found respect. "A bit blood thirsty aren't you? Guess spending all that time with Dagur must have paid off."

"Yeah well we need to hurry. These guys will be missed and there's no time to drag them off to the side," Hiccup told her. He grabbed her hand and they continued down the pathway towards the Kill Ring. Thankfully the place was still unguarded as they slipped into the ring hurrying over to the cages. Finding the keys hanging on a hook they hurried to release the dragons. "Okay settle down don't make so much noise! We'll get you all out of here soon enough, but you have to stay quiet!"

_"I knew you wouldn't let us down Hiccup! You're so brave and amazing! See some humans are nice," _Torch told his siblings. His mother hushed him as the teen started to undo their chains freeing her legs. With one last tug they were off. Torch and his siblings let out a cheer only to be hushed by his mother. She bent down so her babies could get on her back. Once they were on she gave Hiccup an affectionate nuzzle before escaping. Hearing her spinning firecracker sounds the friends knew they didn't have much time left.

"Get out of here all of you! The Berserkers will be here any minute. Wait, can one of you give us a ride?" The Scaldrun was the only one who stayed behind. The giant sea dragon bent down to let the two climb on his back when he let out a roar of pain. A battle axe was embedded in his wing. There were shouts of anger and the sharp zing as arrows from crossbows were fired at them. Seeing a shield nearby Hiccup grabbed it positioning himself between the crossfire and his friends. "Not good, not good at all. Can he still fly?"

"His wings are bleeding, but I think he can manage." Nissa grabbed her friend hand helping him onto the dragon. The Scaldrun let loose a blast of superheated water he had stored up. The men were knocked over scattered like pansies. The Scaldrun flapped his wings blasting the metal bars to pieces. he gained some altitude and was about to fly off when all three of them were hit by bolas sending them crashing to the Kill Ring floor. The three of them struggled trying to break free when a green mist settled over them. Their eyelids grew heavy, their heartbeats slowing down. Unable to resist they fell asleep on the floor.

Elder Inga walked in frowning as she clutched her fir staff firmly in her hand. She had known when that light show had started the princess had something to do with it. She had sensed earlier that day the overwhelming fear and panic in the girl during the _hanbal. _Up until that point both the princess and the boy seemed willing to try to became part of the tribe. Something worse than the fate of marriage must have provoked them into this wild escape attempt. "I'll have to make sure that our deranged chief doesn't slice you up before you get a chance to explain yourselves. You idiots get the Scaldrun back into its cage now! You two help me get these teens back to the Great Hall. Dagur would like to speak to them as soon as possible."

The best friends awoke to a world of pain. Someone was shouting angrily and they could feel blood dripping from shallow cuts to their arms. Someone roughly grabbed their heads forcing them to look up. They both cringed as they saw the expression of fury on Dagur's face. His eyes were wild and his hair was sticking out in all directions because he forgot his helmet in the rush to get here. His knife was in his right hand ready to cut them again. With a snarl he used his the back of his left hand to slap them both. "I thought we were friends! You two were finally settling into your lives on the island. We even arranged for you two to become official members of the tribe. I trusted you two, gave you freedoms, I did what you asked. This how you betray me? By trying to escape? I should kill you both where you stand right now, but Elder Inga believes I should hear you out before doing so. You better have a good explanation for this or we're going to be planning your execution!"

The deranged chief tapped his foot waiting for them to explain. Inside he didn't know if he _could _actually go through with executing them. He was extremely conflicted over this. On the one hand he felt betrayed and made a fool of because of them nearly getting away. On the other he still felt a bond of friendship with them and was still a bit obsessed with them. When they still didn't speak up he pressed his blade against Hiccup's throat causing it to trickle blood. "You have five seconds to start speaking Princess or your best friend loses his voice for good. One, two, three."

"I had to escape for the good of my people!" Nissa wailed loudly. Dagur removed his blade from Hiccup's throat grabbing her by chin yanking her face over. "Stop please, you're hurting me."

"I'll hurt you worse if that's your only explanation. You didn't have to leave for any reason. You chose to stay here because of your people so your explanation doesn't make sense. Maybe you'll start telling me the truth or I'll cut some of that hair of yours." Dagur was about to hack her hair off when he was hit upside the head by Elder Inga's fir staff. She grabbed the deranged teen by the ear painfully pulling him away from her.

"That's enough Dagur, if you give her a chance I'm sure she'll explain. Now sit down and open your ears up. You might learn a thing or two. Child, explain what you meant."

Nissa had tears in her eyes. She looked at Dagur sadly as if she was truly sorry for hurting him. "You want the truth then here it is. My people have a dual nature, the Dragon Heart is part of larger ability to change shape. My other form has more powers, but that's beside the point. I'm of royal blood, the heir to the throne of Xanadu. While all of my people have certain abilities the royals are stronger. We alone can manipulate the magic of light to do what we command, to call forth help from dragons with our voices. You must understand that I share a bond with Hiccup. Its more than just a psychic link; it's almost tangible. I can read his heart, mind, and spirit and vice versa. The people of Xanadu needs the bonds to stay alive, but more importantly is the bond of the royals. We alone are connected to the island of Xanadu and its people, its our mind alone that keeps our dual nature under control. Without a royal leading us my people face extinction."

"Is there no other heirs to the throne? You aunt is queen correct? What about her child taking the throne? If that's child dead can't she just remarry and have another?"

Hiccup answered that one. "No, it doesn't work like that. The bonds between lovers is so strong their lives literally become intertwined. When Queen Rayna's husband and son were killed she nearly died as well. She was kept only alive by their advance medical skills. My new look and abilities are because they attempted to transfuse the blood of their late prince into me so I could carry out the succession. That plan didn't work out exactly, but an alliance was formed between Berk and Xanadu because of that incident. Nissa is on Berk as part of her diplomatic training to take the throne and why she's constantly under guard. They can't afford to lose her. If she marries you and stays here, then her people would be doomed without a proper heir to the throne."

"Is that true? Does this dual nature you speak of mean you can't have children with me or form a bond at all?" Nissa shrugged her shoulders uncertain of the statement. Indicating her galena armband once more she emphasized why she hadn't been able to form a mental bond with him. Ignoring her for now he rounded back to Hiccup jerking his face until they were seeing eye to eye. "So she has a reason for her attempting to escape, what about you? Is life so bad here that you would be willing to risk war?"

"Dagur please try to understand," Hiccup pleaded. He twisted until his face was free and took a deep breath before continuing in a shaky voice. "The peace between dragons and humans is new on Berk. They need me there to ensure it doesn't fall apart. A week before your visit my friends and I had finished a quest where we managed to make friends with different dragon packs. The friendships only last because of how they saw rider and dragon working together; especially me and Toothless. I need to be there to be there so the packs don't feel threatened."

"Not good enough Hiccup, you could have easily rebuilt those relationships here on this island. I need a better explanation."

"What about the fact that if I swear my allegiance to you I can't go back to Berk ever? I know we have a lot in common when it comes to disappointing our fathers, but my relationship with my dad has changed. We're closer then ever and it would devastate him if I joined another tribe or died. The death of my mother nearly destroyed him, I don't want to think of what my betrayal will do to him."

Hiccup's words echoed in Dagur's mind as flashes of memories with his own father played in his mind. He could hear his father's voice inside his head pleading for him to be compassionate, to understand the people around him. Wanting to block out the voice the deranged teen hit his head against a wall until it was silenced. He paced back and forth unsure what to do. The guards assembled seem to be waiting for him to gut the two prisoners to serve their blood up, but Elder Inga was giving in him the stink eye as if daring him to hurt the two. His own obsession was causing his blood to surge through him begging him not to let go of his possessions yet. Tossing a few knives into the wall above his prisoners heads he rebounded on them looking at them in the eye. "While I find your explanations _touching_ you must understand I can't let them sway me. You tried to escape and hurt my guards, not to mention, freeing all my dragons your promised to train. I should kill you both where you kneel. Is there any reason I shouldn't?"

Nissa cleared her throat and whispering faintly," If you allow us to live, if you won't harm our people for our foolish mistake, then I'll marry you tomorrow. I'll reveal all my secrets and use my abilities to make the Berserkers the most dangerous people in the world."

"I'll swear my allegiance to you Dagur. I'll train you an entire army of dragons and build whatever weapons you desire. I'll use all my intelligence to your advantage and I'll even fight by your side. We promise never to try to escape again and do whatever you ask of us. We'll even swear a blood oath to it."

Dagur drummed his fingers over his chin as he thought about their offer. He did want to make them suffer for their escape attempt and waging war on Berk would be a lot of fun. Still, the chance to finally learn all Nissa secrets combined with Hiccup's way with the dragons, was tempting. He could force them to do what he wanted of course, but if they were willing then that solved the problem of any more escape attempts. He gave them a cruel smirk. "You've betrayed me and broken my trust. Still, I'm willing to give you two another chance, to regain my trust and eventually your privileges. Your deal is accepted. Tomorrow we'll have both a wedding and oath swearing. Take them back to their houses and keep them separated. After first light I'll allow a few people to help prepare them for tomorrow's ceremonies. The rest of the village can help set up the shindig. You're all dismissed."

The men saluted Dagur dragging the two teens away. The Great Hall was silent except for the crackling of the fire. Dagur was about to retire when a coughing alerted him that he wasn't alone. He looked behind him frowning as he saw Elder Inga holding her staff tightly with a weird expression on her face. "What are you still doing here? I told you I dismissed you."

"Deranged Chief Dagur, we have to talk about something."

"Can't it wait until morning Elder Inga? I'm tired from all this excitement and I need to get ready for my wedding. If you have any complaints about how I handled the situation I don't want to hear them. I'm chief of the Berserkers so if I want to keep Hiccup and Nissa as my prizes I'm going..."

"Would you shut your trap and listen for a few minutes to your elder?" Elder Inga interrupted him waking him on the head. "Honestly, your worse than your grandfather sometimes. Olaf never knew when to shut up and listen. Its trait your father thankfully had. Don't give me that look I know how you feel about talking about your family, but I they're part of the reason I wanted to talk with you."

"I'm nothing like my father or grandfather! I didn't show them mercy because I'm weak I did it because they have their uses. The glory of our tribe is all I'm concerned about not their feelings. I can do without their friendship it doesn't bother me at all. If my father could see me now conquering the heirs of two tribes his jaw would drop in astonishment."

"More like disappointment. Dagur do you understand the sacrifices Hiccup and Nissa made just now? Do you know what the term sacrifice originally means?" Elder Inga pressed him. The teen shook his head not sure where this was going. " It means the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. A few moments ago those two demonstrated the highest quality of a leader by showing how much they love their homes and their people. Nissa knows staying here could doom her tribe, Hiccup realizes his father might die of a broken heart, and both know they've lost their freedom, but that's not what's important to them. They are willing to give themselves up if it means the survival and continuation of their tribe. Your grandfather Olaf sacrificed bloodshed to keep the Berserker tribe from being wiped out. Your mother gave her life in battle for the chance of improving your life just as your father sacrificed our reputation so we could regain our numbers. They all knew what it meant to sacrifice something for those you love."

"Love is for the weak. Friendships hold you back. Peace is not the Berserker way! I'm proof of what we can be if we follow our traditions!"

"True, you are the ideal Berserker, something to strive for. Don't dismiss the changes you've made though. The tribe doesn't see your compassion or kindness as weakness Dagur, but a new strength that will help protect them. I'm not saying you should give up everything about yourself child only that you don't forget the lessons you have learned from your friends. They are your friends and will continue to be so if you give them a chance. I shall leave you now. I urge you think over my words though. Are you so different then your father that you wouldn't sacrifice something for the good of your tribe and friends? Is being deranged, bloodthirsty, and cruel more important to you then the man you've become? I'll see you tomorrow at the ceremonies. Goodnight." With that Elder Inga strolled out of the room leaving the chief alone with his thoughts.

The night passed without any further incidents. The two friends had fitful night of nightmares and lack of sleep. The sun had just risen when there was a pounding at the door. Nissa was groggily getting out of bed when she heard shouting from the main room. "Dagur told us not to leave the girl alone for a minute! We're not going to leave because..."

"Use your brains if you have them idiot. Men like you know nothing of preparing a girl for her wedding day. Stay outside the house if you must, but you will not infringe on a woman's basic dignity. Now get out!" Elder Inga cackled, there a was a fizzle and snap followed by a howl and the door slamming. "Ah the joys of using magic never get old. You can come out child the idiots are gone. I've gathered a few trusted women along with a few girls to help you prepare for today. Come on out we won't bite."

"I'm surprised that you aren't attacking me with a spell or at the very least punishing me for my actions last night," Nissa said as she sat down at the table. Katrina and Holly put down a few trays of food in front of her. There were eggs, fresh fish and surprisingly some berries. She nibbled at the food gesturing for the other ladies to join in with her. Three little girls from the magic class eagerly began eating the food whispering excitedly. It wasn't every day that the chief and foreign princess got married. Hearing their giggles saddened her for a moment, but she pushed that down as she looked at her attendants. "I'm unsure of the customs for Viking weddings. What is our first step?"

"Traditionally we need to strip you of your old cloths and put away your _kransen_, a gilt circlet that is worn by non married girls, except you've already been stripped so to speak of your identity," Katrina remarked.

"So instead we'll take you to the bath house for your ceremonial cleansing. Girls, run ahead and make sure that the steam bath is prepared. Remember, we need to have birch branches to cause perspiration. Oh and don't forget to make sure they've stocked up on oils and flowers!" Holly told the girls who bobbed their heads.

"Once your done with that children you have the special task of gathering the _heiman fylgia _from the village women. Make sure that you go to every house and be careful not to break anything! This dowry has to support Princess Nissa for the rest of her life!" Elder Inga imposed on the girls. The little ones, now quite frightened, hurried off to do their tasks.

A few minutes later the ladies guided Nissa, who was wearing a simple white shift dress, to the bath house. The water was heated to just the right temperature causing a small amount of steam to fill the room. Katrina and Holly began the task of scrubbing the princess clean from top to bottom. As they did their duty they gave her some healthy advice.

"Remember to always have meals prepared after a hard day of chiefing. The best way to avoid arguments is if his mouth is stuffed with food," Holly told her.

"Keep the weapons clean and sharpened. You never know when he'll need to use a sword instead of a knife," Katrina reminded her.

"Above all child its important to know when to stand your ground instead of giving into Dagur's childish antics," Elder Inga added. She poured a cold bucket of water over Nissa and anointed her with oil finishing the cleansing ceremony.

After the bath they returned to the house where the girls had just finished bringing in the last of the _heiman fylgia. _Clothing, blankets, some furniture and treasure were all part of the lot. Nodding gratefully Nissa allowed her attendants to help comb her and putting on a nice dress. A bridal crown woven from straw and wheat, then garlanded with flowers was placed on her head. Seeing herself in the mirror she did look pretty.

While this had been going on for the last two hours Hiccup was also being prepared for his oath ceremony. First he'd been ritually cleansed in his house and his hair trimmed. New clothes had been laid out for him to wear. Sturdy brown leather armor with spiked gauntlets and metal shoulder pads made up his new outfit. Attached to his belt was a new dagger with the finest grip. Tugging on his new boots he gazed at himself. He looked like a warrior, not the rider he knew. "This is for Berk. I'm sorry dad, but this is the only way to keep you safe." There was a knock on the door. "Yes?"

"Its time Hiccup, your needed for the official exchange of Princess Nissa's _heiman fylgia. _Do you have something that can be used for the _mundr?_" his guard asked entering the room. The boy nodded holding out a single glass item he forged yesterday. It would have to do in a pinch. The guard nodded motioning for the boy to follow him.

Both friends were marched silently side by side to the village square where most of the villagers had assembled. It was decorated with symbols for Freya, flowers, and of course lots Berserker weapons. A banner hung over a small altar proclaiming Dagur and Nissa's names. Dagur himself was waiting at the altar. He had also been ritually cleansed, wearing brand new armor and carrying his father's sword. It was custom for him to wear a forebears sword that he recovered from a ritual mound. He looked nervous and his eye kept twitching. On the altar rested the usual symbols of the gods as well as a small bottle of ink to be used in the oath swearing ceremony.

The first part of the ceremony got underway. The _heiman fylgia_ and _mundr_ were presented to Dagur who accepted them. His bodyguards took possession of the items for now. They'd been taken to his home after the wedding. Dagur stood up straight as his bride stood next to him and Hiccup on his left. Elder Inga took her place in front of the altar as the two ceremonies began.

"Berserkers, we've gathered here today to celebrate not only the union between Dagur the Deranged and Princess Nissa of Xanadu, but to also make Hiccup Horrendous Haddock part of our tribe. He comes to us on his own volition wishing to add to our strength. He offers us his brain, his courage, and most importantly his knowledge of dragons to our tribe. Do we accept his offer?"

Cheers were heard all over the square. Elder Inga dipped her head and turned to Hiccup. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock; do you swear your loyalties to the Berserker tribe? To protect your new home and tribe with your very flesh and blood? Aid your new chief with no qualms at all? To renounce your old tribe forever more?"

A single tear fell from Hiccup's left eye as he repeated her words. His heart was breaking as Dagur accepted him into the fold. Holding out his hand he tried not to break down as the Berserker crest was written on it binding him to this new tribe. Not even Nissa love was enough to ease his betrayal of his tribe.

"The oath swearing portion of this day is complete. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock is now a Berserker. The wedding ceremony will now commence."

"I've been looking forward to this for awhile haven't you?" Dagur whispered to his bride. She merely nodded keeping her lips tightly shut. Her eyes were glued to Elder Inga who was invoking the gods to bless this union. A struggling sow was brought to the altar where it was ceremonially sacrificed to Freya to ensure fertility. The blood was collected into a bowl as the sow's body was taken away to be prepared for the feast. A _hlaut-teinn, _(bundle of fir twigs) was dipped into the blood. She then sprinkled the blood over the couple and then the crowd blessing them. The two of them then exchanged their swords signifying the traditions of the family and the continuation of the bloodline, while the sword given to the groom by the bride symbolized the transfer of the father's power of guardianship and protection over the bride to her new husband.

As they prepared to carry out the final part of the ceremony, the ring exchange, a commotion was heard coming from the harbor. An explosion was heard as spouts of water surged high into the air. The entire ceremony was halted as shouts of surprise and fear could be heard. "What's going on? I demand an explanation!" Dagur shouted holding out his sword.

"We're under attack! The Berkians and their dragons are attacking the armada!" someone called out as shock appeared on the village faces.

In the bay under a thick steamy cloud the armada found themselves surrounded by the Berkian ships. The Berserkers were looking around trying to pinpoint the location of the enemy ships. Surprisingly, the men remember some of their lessons with Hiccup about listening and anticipating where your enemy was going to be. Hearing the lapping of the water the captain of one the ships commanded them to launch their catapults slightly to the left.

There was a hard crunch and shouts of surprise as one of the Berkian ships sank. The Berserker's had no chance to celebrate as their ship was rammed so hard it split into two. The men abandoned that ship treading water as they watched the battle unfold around them. It was frenzy as the two enemies launched continued attacks on another or rammed them so hard they sunk. The armada was slowly losing it strength and power.

That's when the second wave began. The sound of angered dragon roars filled the air causing hair to stand on its end. In a v formation came the Whispering Death trio who descended into the ground. The two Timberjacks joined into the battle fly close to the perimeter of the compound. The guards on top were firing their crossbows and long-range catapults managing to injure them, but the dragons also managed to slice up some of the weapons. It would be a battle of wills as they faced off with one another.

By now everyone in the village was over their shock. The men gathered their weapons and the women started to prepare the spells. Even the children were grabbing items to the defend their village. Dagur snatched Nissa's weapon from her. He could tell by the expression on her face she hadn't expect this and neither did Hiccup. "If you think this changes anything you can forget about it. Remember I have the right to defend my home from an attack and there is nothing you two can do to stop it!"

Before they could protest the altar behind them was shattered by a sonic boom. Hiccup felt his heart surge with hope. Nissa's eyes were widening as they saw just on the edge of the horizon their final hope. Flying in doing battle with the enraged Berserkers were the riders and Draconia Daypeaces staying above the island and the allochthonous galena. Stoick's voice amplified by Queen Rayna's power echoed across the compound. "Dagur you dare break our treaty and kidnap my son and his friend? You wanted a bloody war and now your going to get one!"

_"Prepare for your ultimate destruction!" _Queen Rayna thundered. The war between the three tribes had just begun.


	8. Rescuing the Prisoners

The war between the tribes had just gotten underway. The Berkians and Daypeaces plan had been rather straight forward. First, take out the armada so that the Vikings that couldn't ride could land their ships and march up to the compound. Second, have the Whispering Death tunnel all over Dagur's Atoll chewing up the galena so that the Daypeaces could use their powers and manifest without difficulty. Third, have the Timberjacks take out the weapons on the catwalk and slice up the doors so the Berkians could invade. Lastly, have aerial support fly over the compound taking out as many warriors as they could. Most importantly find Hiccup and Nissa so they could rescue them.

So far the plan was working. The armada had been mostly defeated with a great number of the ships sunk and their crews bobbing in the water. The Berkians had landed on the island, charging up the hill with no fear. Some of them had been struck down by the long-range crossbows, but the tribe kept coming. The earth beneath their feet was trembling greatly as the trio of Whispering Deaths continued on their hunt for the galena deposits. Dagur had collected a cache and it was hidden in several different parts of the island so it would take a while to eat it all. Meanwhile, the Timberjacks were having a difficult time taking out the weapons.

"Aim for their large wings! The dragons will have no choice, but to retreat!" the captain of the guard commanded. He ducked behind some stoneware as a steady stream of fire shot at him. Once the fire was gone he leaped out from behind his hiding shooting his crossbow. The arrow zinged through the air embedding itself in one of the Timberjacks tail causing it to let out a yowl of pain. "Fire the catapults now!"

"Yes sir! Take that you ugly beast!" Several boulders flew through the air aimed for the Timberjacks. Just as they were about to hit a blast of orange fire encased the boulders causing them to fall to the ground harmlessly. Confused they looked up to see the Daypeaces flying closer. Four of them opened their mouths and out came a compressed yellow blast of fire. Sensing its danger many of the man rolled out of the way, but a few guards stood their ground hurling their battle axes. The axes nearly hit their mark causing the Daypeaces to bank to the sides, wobbling a bit as they did. They flew back up, but the deed had been done. The Berserkers hit with the yellow attribute flames suddenly lost their strength. They could barely hold their weapons and forget about shooting them straight. The boulders and arrows targeted at the dragons or approaching army missed by a mile.

"Those beast have done something to our men! Get them off the catwalk now! I want those weapons manned by a competent warrior this second ahhhhhhhhhh!" The captain of the guard was hurled through the air as explosion took place. The two Timberjacks, with the help of Thornado, Orli, and Toothless, had taken out the last of the weapons.

_"The compounds weapons have been obliterated Nightfury queen! My mate and I have taken serious damage. We need to land and rest otherwise we might bleed out," _Pine called out to Orli. The female Nightfury, who was being ridden by Gobber this time, nodded her head jerking it to the far left indicating a safe spot to rest. Pine nodded as she and Fir flew off to recover.

Orli flew closer to compound lining up a shot to take out the gate. Her plasma ball charged ready to strike when a bolt of lighting came out of nowhere.

"Ah, turn turn turn!" Gobber shouted ducking to avoid being struck in the head. The smell of ozone filled his nostrils as he realized how close he was to getting killed. "What in the blazes was that?"

_"I'm not quite sure. I'm going to move in for another shot. Tell the army to move out of they wa ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" _ Orli bellowed as several icicles pierced her side. Blood started to ooze from her flank as she twisted about in the air in pain.

Toothless, who had put on the automatic tailfin for the mission, saw his mate in trouble. He zoomed in banking to the side to avoid another blast of energy. Twisting up and then diving down again he fired a serious of plasma shots into the compound. He was aiming for the seiðkonur who had launched this second attack. His plasma shot took out two of them, but the others surprisingly threw up a light screen shield that withstood the power of his plasma shot. A gust of supernatural wind came out of nowhere trying to rip his tail fin off. Toothless rolled over in the air, maneuvering down skimming through the air just above the compound. He spotted more seiðkonur dotted across the village.

"Nightfury! We need to take it out ladies! Remember your lessons!" a seiðkonur shouted. Curling her hand she let the sun's energy fill her up. Lining up a shot she pumped her fist forward. A single powerful beam of sunlight shot through the air aimed right at Toothless underbelly.

_"Oh man this is bad! Since when can Berserkers use light magic?" _ Toothless asked as he flew up. More beams of light and crackle of green energy was being fired from all directions. He zigzagged through the air getting struck a few times. A powerful surge of green energy wrapped itself around him causing him to spasm. No choice he had to get out of there! Circling backwards he climbed up into the air as he rejoined the riders. _"Problems, their using light magic to attack any dragon that gets close to the village."_

_ "Impossible! Light magic is nearly impossible to learn on ones own! You would need a teacher and I refuse to believe Nissa would share her knowledge with these savages!" _ Rayna responded. It was impossible to believe her niece would betray her tribe in the almost two weeks she'd been held prisoner. _ "If they are using light magic I'm sure that Nissa was force to teach them how to use it."_

"Hey what's going on down there? What's that ugly old woman doing?" Snotlout asked pointing at Elder Inga. The elder was chanting under her breath twirling her fir staff in a complex pattern. Green energy was mixing with rainbow light. She slammed her staff to the ground releasing her magic. The Daypeaces recognized what she was casting. Ignoring the dangers the male Honor Guard dove towards the compound releasing their blue flames hoping to mist and put her to sleep thus canceling her spell. Sensing the danger the warriors tossed weapons coated in galena at the approaching Daypeaces. The weapons hit their mark grazing their skin slightly poisoning the Honor Guard. They stalled in the air weak and woozy before their wings folded as they dropped like a stone towards a finished barrier of light.

"They're going to be pulverized if they connect with that shield!" Fishlegs shouted.

_"Girls, we need to get in there and rescue the males now!" _Ula barked at her fellow female Honor Guard. Without hesitation they risked their life as they went after their counterparts. Their eyes locked on as they spread their talons. Their hyper focus didn't allow them to notice more weapons and spells passing through the shield at them.

"Lets give them some cover fire! Fire at the weapons now!" Astrid commanded. The dragons responded to the riders command incinerating the weapons before they could strike them. Toothless and Orli used their plasma blast to explode the spells. As the Honor Guard females snatched their friends dragging them off the side Stoick and Rayna used their long-range attacks on the barrier. It trembled and crackled only to refuse to break. Gobber tossed some knives hoping they would pass through the barrier, but they bounced off.

"Hey, how come their attacks can pass through, but ours can't? That's not fair!" Tuffnut whined.

"Shut up, maybe the army can break down the door with the battering ram," Ruffnut said glancing down at the army. They had arrived at the gate to the compound. The army was ramming it again and again with two battering rams, but the door refused to break. They couldn't get in. The rescue plan had stalled.

Stoick commanded Thornado to hover above the compound as he tried to figure out what to do next. The Berkians weren't making any progress in breaking down the door into the compound and the protective shield over it didn't allow any attacks through. He briefly thought about seeing if one of the Whispering Deaths could tunnel a hole into the compound, but he had no way to contact them, not to mention looking at the Daypeaces, it appeared there were still deposits of galena in the ground. He could see into the compound. Every member of the Berserker tribe, including the children, had armed themselves ready to defend their tribe. He spotted Dagur on the far side barking orders. The Berkian chief's blood boiled inside him as he saw the teen pushing his son and his friend behind the altar before tying them to it. "We have to break into that compound no matter what! We can't leave them inside there any longer."

"The question is how do we get inside? Nothing we do penetrates that shield, but they can attack us without worrying about retaliation," Gobber pointed out.

_"Queen Rayna, can use your own light magic to cancel the spell? Maybe even punch a hole in it?" _ Orli questioned.

The queen didn't respond as she was already trying to do just that. Her body shimmered as she gathered the light around her. She manipulated it, transforming it under it was the shape of a ball. Tossing it up in the air she hit it with the flat side of her tail blade. As if it had been shot from a cannon the ball of light struck the shield bouncing all over attempting to crack it. The shield flashed and hummed refusing to break. With the failure of that spell Rayna tried another one. This time it was to create a reflected surface in hopes she could reflect some of the light away from the shield. Carefully holding the reflective substance she angled it a bit catching the light from the shield. It shimmer and bounced, but no hole. Growling in frustration she was about to try something new when another attack was launched at them.

"Look out Your Majesty!" Astrid shouted as a barrage of spears shout at them. She squeezed her legs tightly around Stormfly. The Deadly Nadder responded whipping her tail around releasing her spikes. The two projectiles clashed, their was a shattering crack as several broke apart. However a few of the projectiles were still coming straight at her. Instinctively Astrid brought up her hands to shield her face, as a sapphire glow appeared in her eyes. That same glow encased the projectiles halting them in mid-air. Astrid, stunned in disbelief, clenched her hand twisting it around bringing it down hard. The weapons responded in kind turning around aiming for the shield striking it with such force it wobbled. "What in Odin's name?"

"Incoming move Hookfang!" Snotlout shouted. The Monstrous Nightmare moved a fraction to slow as the javelin struck his rider in the shoulder. Instead of piercing him it bounced off spinning out of sight. The rider looked at his dragon in confusion. All around them the other riders were discovering strange phenomenon about themselves. Meatlug missed a boulder that came at her, but Fishlegs managed to catch it raising above his head before hurling it at the door denting it. The Twins and their dragon were trying to get away from the enfilade of weapons. Ruffnut drew a shield form in the air and suddenly it was real. She used it to protect herself as her twin somehow bent the wind around him blowing the attack away from them. They all grinned knowing what this meant.

In the compound below Dagur was frowning as he noticed the change in the air. The riders were displaying unusual powers. "What is going on? How are they doing that?" he demanded to his friends. He had placed them behind the altar for their protection giving them a shield to protect themselves from any danger. Before they could answer he interrupted them. "Hold that thought for sec. I want reinforcements down at the gate! Make sure that every man is carrying at least a spear or a battle-ax! Ladies, use your shields and remember to stab with your knives. Don't forget if your magic fails you they're _atiger_ (glaive) in the weapons cache for you to use. Children! Get ready to use the booby traps on them! If you get into trouble hide! There's no shame for retreating from an armed opponent three times bigger then you. Elder Inga, what's the status of the shield?"

"Its holding for now, but if those riders keep hitting us with their attacks they'll break in within minutes. Then again the Berkians might bust down the door any second!"

"By Thor I won't lose on my home turf! What is going on out there?" Dagur questioned them again. In the skies above the Daypeaces, Nightfuries, along with Stoick and Snotlout, were attempting to break through the shield. Thanks to his new invulnerability Snotlout was able to ride Hookfang totally ablaze as they struck the dome again and again. Plasma blasts combined with super sonic attacks and fire were making short work of the shield. The other riders were using their newly unlocked magic to make short work of the door.

"The stress of the situation must have unlocked their gems powers. This is the right stimuli for them to use their gifts, but I don't know how long they'll be able to use them before their energies are spent," Hiccup informed Dagur frowning a bit. He ducked behind the altar as both the shield and doors busted at the same time. Battle cries were heard as the Berkians engaged the Berserkers one on one. Dragons swooped in from above being attacking the village.

"Stay here you two, you'll be safe here! I'm going to defend my village. I'll be back for you soon enough! Oh blood and guts are going to be spilled today!" Dagur cackled whirling his two swords with efficiency. He dove into the fray slicing and dicing his foes while protecting his tribemates.

"Well he's certainly changed his mentality towards his tribe mates. I never thought I see the day when he defend them from attack or care that the kids could be killed."

"He made sure we're safe here, the rope isn't even tied that tight. Hiccup, this isn't what we wanted. Innocent people are going to get hurt maybe even die. We can't let that happen. There has to be something we can do."

Hiccup bit his lip knowing she was right though he was unsure of what to do. He had just sworn an oath to the Berserker tribe meaning he couldn't aid the Berkians. If he attempted to get involved the two sides would get confused by his presence. Nissa still couldn't use her powers. "If only we could get our friends out of the compound, then maybe the fighting might die down a bit. What would give the riders and our relatives a reason to leave the compound?"

"Either us or Dagur. Hmm, what if we had Dagur take us to the Kill Ring? It's on the far side of the compound practically outside it. We go there then there's enough space for all the dragons and the damage would be a minimum."

"We have to get his attention, duck! How do we oh watch it! In this chaos how are we going to get Dagur and our friends attention?" he demanded as they dove underneath the altar. They pressed themselves to the ground shield out protecting them from the overhead fire and occasional stray weapon. In the midst of the battle he'd lost track of where everyone was as blood, weapons, and explosions riddled the compound. The screams alone had him terrified as the roars echoed in his head. He tugged on his rope loosening it a bit more.

_"I need your help, we have to contact Dagur mentally. He won't hear us any other way over this chaos. With your help I think I can reach Dagur's mind."_

_ "Have you formed a bond with him at last?" _ Nissa bit her lip drawing blood. Tugging once more at her galena armband she tried moving it again. It gave half an inch coming off her skin. She could feel her Dragon Heart returning a bit. She held her palms out touching them to Hiccup's. They knelt, closing their eyes, and focusing their inner power reaching out across the compound searching for the deranged chief's mind.

The battle was getting pretty fierce indeed. Astrid and Stormfly were flying low setting houses on fire. She grimaced as she saw children carrying buckets putting out the fires. A few of the older children fired shots from their slingshots. The stones bounced harmfully off Stormfly's scaly skin. "Go easy on them girl their just kids."

_"You might want to tell them that!" _Stormfly snorted as she flew up in a spiral to avoid being caught in the heavy nets launched by the kids. Astrid reached out with her new telekinetic abilities. Her mind strained a headache building as she mentally moved the nets dropping them on top of the kids. Astrid let out a moan nearly slipping off her saddle. Sensing her rider's distress Stormfly used her wing to nudge her rider back on. _"Are you okay?" _

"I'm fine, I just think I used to much energy. I'm not use to using this power yet. I'll conserve my strength in case we need to merge. Let's continue our attack. Keep an eye out for Hiccup and Nissa!"

Snotlout and Hookfang had landed in the village. Snotlout jumped off Hookfang giving his war cry. "Oi Oi Oi! I'm going to prove to you Berserkers that a Jorgensen is the toughest of the tough!" Three men rushed him. The first chopped down with his axe which Snotlout caught in his hand. The blade tickled his hand not drawing blood. Shoving the weapon backwards he hit the man in the head knocking him out. The other two came at him from the side swords high. He stepped backwards, twisted a bit to avoid being pierced. He kicked out with his left catching one in the gut then elbowed the other causing his grip on his weapon to falter. Yanking it out he use the Berserker's weapon to cut off his protective armor. "Oi Oi Oi! Snotlout is the best! Nothing can hurt me nothing! Ahhhhhhh!"

_"I thought I warned you not to get cocky!" _ Hookfang snorted. He had set himself on fire spinning around in a circle creating a protective barrier. He latched his jaw around the spear in his rider's butt pulling it out fast. Spitting it out he listened to the calls of his friends. _"Your friends magic has worn off for the time being. Fishlegs was nearly crushed under the weight of the catapult he'd been flipping. Ruffnut lost her helmet because her projection fizzled out and her brother is dripping wet now that the rain water is not being bent. You need to conserve your strength so that we may merge later on."_

"Alright I trust you buddy."

While this was going on Dagur had been running across rooftops assisting any of his tribe mates. He slashed free piled up logs sending the careening into the Berkian army burying some of them. During a mid air jump he tossed three knives drawing blood of passing dragons. He hit the ground rolling into a ball he bowled over a few men before unfurling hacking at their feet. Picking up a discarded shield he bashed in heads, blocked attacks and countered with sword strikes. Spying a few seiðkonur in trouble against some Berkian women he tossed his weapon and shield to the side. He slid in between the fighting woman protecting them with his back turned. He twisted his head back trying to gore the women with his horned helmet nearly cutting into their faces. Sensing them backing off he turned settling into a tai chi stance.

The women snorted in amusement. "Do you think we are afraid of a few fighting tricks? Your truly deranged if you think you can take us without weapons," barked one of the shield maidens.

"Prove it then ladies, I've got bigger fish to catch namely Stoick and his friend the queen," Dagur taunted urging them forward. Laughing the first woman lunged forward with her short sword thinking she'd make fast work of the teen chief. The teen performed the perfect step back and whirl arm technique dispatching her with ease. Angered the second lady tried to hit him with her shield, but he used waving hands at clouds to side step circling his arms to push her into makeshift prison the seiðkonur set up. Lastly he turned deflecting the incoming attack parried with his hands and punched hard getting the last foe. Spotting Stoick and Rayna getting closer to the altar he recovered his weapons. Hurling a knife he managed to strike Stoick's shoulder.

Thornado hearing his rider in pain let loose a powerful blast catching the teen chief off guard. He went straight through two houses crumbling on the ground. Trying to regain his senses he quickly covered up with his shield as Rayna raked her talons at him. Sensing perhaps she wasn't at full strength he reached into his belt pulled out some galena dust tossing it into her open maw. She sneezed her flames a multitude of colors. She kept rubbing her nose coughing. Angered she whipped her tail blade at him smashing his shield. He stabbed at her with his knife drawing blood. "Ha ha ha this is truly a worthy battle!"

"I'll show you a battle you pathetic excuse of chief!" Stoick bellowed jumping off his dragon with his battle axe. He swung it back and forth hoping to cleave the teen in half. He managed to cut into some of his armor and nick his arms, but was unable to land a fatal blow. Dagur drew both swords from their scabbards twirling them with ease. He didn't even flinch when Queen Rayna landed next to Stoick hissing at him. He could tell she had weakened a bit. In the blink of an eye Dagur had to deflect both her talons and small hatchet thrown at his head. He parried pushing forward jabbing at them. Metal clinked loudly as his swords made contact with Stoick's weapon. He pushed looking for an opening using one sword to twist the blade edge to the side before piercing with his second.

Stoick didn't even feel it as his own armor protected him. He punched with his left hand smacking the teen in the jaw before kicking him hard in the shins. The deranged teen laughed dancing out of the way. Rayna blasted him with her own fire only for him to back flip out of the way on top of some barrels. He kicked it down at them with Rayna biting them in half. Stoick could feel his blood boiling at the sight of the Berserker chief laughing at him. "You shame your father greatly Dagur. He would never has stooped so low to kidnapping heirs and holding them as prizes to be used."

"I've said it before Stoick I'm not my father! I saw an opportunity and I took it. You would be proud of Hiccup if you saw how well he's been doing under my tutelage. I was so pleased when he swore his oath of loyalty to _me_ just before you showed up."

"Your lying you piece of dirt! My son wouldn't betray his tribe!"

"He did to keep you safe! Oh, I'm not a hundred percent certain, but I sense your somehow connected to my betrothed Nissa. We were going to get married today didn't you know? In fact we were just about to exchange the rings when you showed up. She's quite the beauty isn't she?"

_"Shut up you monster!" _ Queen Rayna bellowed jumping onto the pile. Dagur swung himself onto the roof scurrying away from her talon strikes. He kicked her in the jaw. She leapt on top of him pinning him to the ground. She was coming to bite down him, but he managed to wiggle out of the way kicking her in the underbelly. Stumbling next to a chimney he grabbed handfuls of soot blinding her. Sliding off the roof he landed on Stoick's back trying to choke him. The two chiefs bashed into walls and fences as Dagur was flung into the air landing hard. He picked himself up pulling out his weapon as the two leaders approached him.

_"I will tear you to shreds!"_

"Only after I behead you!"

"You're welcome to try the both of you. I'll admit this is the hardest fight I've ever been in, but I'm not one to give up. I won't let you take my friends away from me, not now and not ever!" he hissed getting into a defensive posture. He was ready to attack when he froze for a second his eyes wide. Seeing a chance Rayna and Stoick were about to rush him when the bodyguards showed up tangling them up in bolas.

"Deranged one are you okay? Dagur can you hear us oof stop that you prisoner!"

Dagur couldn't hear him because he was listening to a call, a mental one. _"Dagur, you have to lead the dragons away from the village. If they keep up the fighting then everyone will die."_

_ "Nissa? Is that you? How am I hearing you?"_

_ "Doesn't matter, what does is saving your tribemates. If you retreat from the main compound with us, go the Kill Ring then many lives will be saved. Please Dagur."_

_ "Listen to her, we know how our friends will react. My dad will follow you along with all the dragons. At least at the Kill Ring you can see if the Scauldrun will let you mount him. It would be a fairer fight."_

Dagur nodded, pulling out a homemade smoke bomb. "Men, I'm retreating with the prisoners to the Kill Ring. Hopefully it will lead the dragons away from the village proper. Defend our home! I want the Berkians made our prisoners if possible! Well Stoick, if you and your friend want Hiccup and Nissa so badly, come and get them!" He threw down his smoke bomb escaping. The two leaders broke their bindings racing after him. The riders spotted Dagur unbinding his prisoners and racing away from the compound with them in tow. They gave chase as Orli and Toothless joined in the pursuit for their friends.

"We can't let him get away! If he reaches the Kill Ring who knows how many dragons he's got under his command?" Fishlegs warned the group.

"I thought Dagur was cooler then acting like a coward by retreating," Snotlout whined.

"He's made himself a sacrificial target so his tribe has a chance to win you idiot!" Astrid snapped. As the group continued to fly there was another explosion sending columns of dirt into the air. A twisting path of these mud spouts started to form halting them in their tracks for a second. Below them they could see Dagur grinning maliciously.

"You like my newest booby trap? It's really thanks to your Whispering Deaths. As they chew up the soil of the island they activate some explosives I had planted around the island for just such an emergency. They may get rid of the galena, but they'll end up hurt in the process while slowing you down! I'll be going now, hurry up you two!"

"Quite ingenious of you to lay such a diabolic booby trap Dagur. Looks like I rubbed off on you with using your brainpower," Hiccup commented, struggling to keep up with him as the ropes on his wrist started to dig into his skin. As he tried to readjust the ropes he took a tumble falling hard on the ground.

"Are you okay? Nothing broken right?" Nissa said, coming to a dead stop forcing the same with Dagur. She bent down looking him over for injury. He didn't seem hurt just that the wind was knocked out of him. Gesturing for Dagur they both helped him to his feet. With him balanced between them they made their way to the Kill Ring only glancing over their shoulder to see if the riders were still pursuing them.

The riders were after the trio doing their best to weave between the mud spouts. It wasn't easy. The mud was flying in all directions. Trying to avoid being covered in it was a necessity. It wasn't about cleanliness it was about avoiding being weighed down by the extra weight. Toothless and Orli were in the lead using their echolocation in hopes of seeing a way around the spouts. Just then one sprouted in front of them.

_"Ahhhhhhh, this is a nightmare! I nearly had my wings ripped off because of that. We need to stop the Whispering Deaths so we can fly safely!" _Orli stated hovering in the air. Gobber was scanning the ground looking for the tell tale hole of the Whispering Death. If they could find one they could fly in and stop the trio. The two of them wouldn't be affected by any lingering deposits of galena. As he searched he saw the ground half a mile from them moving as a sinkhole started to form. "Ah there's one of the tunnelers! Stoick, I'm going to talk to the Whispering Deaths! You keep up the pursuit!"

"Be careful Gobber! If the ground starts to collapse on you get out of there!" Gobber nodded directing Orli towards the hole. The female's scales sparkled in the late afternoon sun as she dove into the sinkhole. Watching his friend disappear from sight was hard, but Stoick knew he had to stay strong if he wanted to rescue his son. "Thornado, can you blast us a path through the mud spouts?"

_"I can try. An opening may form for a few seconds for us to fly through, but it will take perfect sychrosantion between the riders and dragons to make it through. You kids think you can do that?" _

_ "I think its time we coalesce once more. Everyone in agreement?" _Stormfly asked. The other dragons nodded in perfect unison with their riders. The teens wrapped a hand around their necklaces focusing their energy. The gems glow was bright as Stoick shielded his eyes. Next to him Rayna hovered in the air watching in wonder as the transformation took place. Snotlout had Hookfang's horns starting to sprout on his head as his newly formed tail swished about. Astrid was testing her new talons clenching them and unclenching them. Fishlegs wings flapped furiously to keep him in the air. The Twins necks elongated as they merged into one being. Toothless gave his gummy smile as the light faded leaving the hybrids in their place.

_"Lets get moving we don't know how long you can hold the transformation. Thornado, clear us a path!" _

Thornado let loose a powerful screech tearing up the mud spouts in half. The hybrids flew through the opening in a single line. Toothless was in the middle, using his plasma blast to separate the mud as it started to merge together again. He zoomed through it with Rayna bringing up the rear. The group twisted around two more mud spouts before flying through another one. Seeing another spout starting to form the hybrids went into action.

Fishlegs and Astrid flew over the bubbling earth with Astrid gathering mud and rocks into her powerful talons. She dropped her load into Fishlegs mouth who chewed it up. With perfect aim he spit out some lava blasts onto the ground hardening it so it didn't explode.

Seeing their idea in action, Snotlout set himself on fire spinning around the spouts hardening them into solid masses. The Twins and Rayna joined in solidifying every single spout that appeared. Then Toothless would blow them up with a plasma blast clearing up a path. The combination of attacks kept them out of danger and soon they arrived at the Kill Ring. The hybrid children latched their talons on the metal bars tearing them off the roof before landing on the ground. There eyes darted about looking for any sign of their friends.

_**"Be ready to attack with everything you've got! We don't know how many dragons Dagur's got!" **_Astrid warned. The others nodded. All eyes focused on the cage doors waiting with anticipation for a sign of trouble. Finally one of the cages started to open. Dagur walked out first, keeping his expression neutral as he took in the hybrids. He tugged on a short leash of ropes pulling Hiccup and Nissa out after him. He glanced over his shoulder as if waiting for something. Everyone took a step back as the Scaldrun entered the arena looking around in confusion.

_**"So you managed to tame a dragon for yourself Dagur? Not going help you much considering your outnumbered," **_Snotlout stated simply. He was itching to unleash his power on the teen.

_** "Unless you have other dragons to use against. Then again if you did I think we would have seen them by now," **_Fishlegs commented.

_**"So he's defenseless against us?"**_

_** "Cool, let's burn him up already."**_

Dagur opened his mouth to reply when Hiccup and Nissa slid in front of him forming a protective shield. He heard the Scaldrun coming up behind him before he felt it take a defensive stance. He wasn't sure why the dragon hadn't flown off with the roof gone, but he was grateful for its supposed protection.

"It's nice to see you guys again. I was starting to wonder if we'd ever see you again. Hey Toothless how are you bud? I've missed you."

_"I've missed you too Hiccup. I was so worried about you. Don't worry we'll make sure Dagur pays for kidnapping you. Just move aside so I can sink my teeth into him."_

Hiccup ran his hand through his hair and chuckled nervously. Tapping his foot anxiously he turned his left hand over so they could see the inked mark of the Berserkers there. "Um, yeah about that um, I can't let you do that. I technically belong to the Berserker tribe now and I'll have to defend Dagur from all of you if you do that."

"Yeah and technically speaking I'm betrothed to Dagur, in fact you interrupted the wedding ceremony. Not that changes much I still have to defend him."

Stoick felt his heart plummet as he saw the mark on his son's hand. It felt as if icicles were forming around his heart and he could barely stand. Hiccup noticed this looking away sadly. He hadn't wanted to do this to his dad. He didn't want to hurt him. Noticing Hiccup's expression Stoick whispered a single word, "Why?"

"Oh don't be like that Stoick. Its like I said before Hiccup sacrificed himself so your tribe would remain safe. After all you broke the treaty first by amassing a dragon army without informing my tribe. Same with Nissa here, she was willing to put everything on the line to keep her people safe."

_"She shouldn't have had to make any deals with scumbags like you. Betrothal or not I will make you suffer you annoying gnat!" _

"Aunt Rayna, please try to calm down. I don't want anymore fighting," Nissa pleaded. She could sense Dagur's eyebrows go up into his hairline as she confirmed his theory about her secret. Stamping her foot she held out her tied hands to the chief. He sliced the ropes off and did the same for Hiccup. As they rubbed their hands to get circulation again their friends moved in closer getting ready to attack. Using her free hands Nissa took a step forward trying to calm them down, but still unable to reach anyone because of the armband. Hissing softly she tried to use her own charisma to quench the need for revenge. "Please, I understand how upset everyone is. Believe me being held prisoner for two weeks is not my idea of a vacation. However even if I wasn't betrothed to Dagur, I wouldn't just let you hurt him. He's changed sort of."

"Don't defend his actions as justified Nissa. His obsession over you and Hiccup has cost him his tribe, his home and soon to be his life. I won't let him live long enough to hurt anyone else."

"Dad, if you kill Dagur then the Berserkers will just retaliate. We'll be at war for months maybe even years. Think of how many lives will be lost if you continue down this path. Don't let your own pride be your downfall," Hiccup pleaded. Before his father could speak he interrupted him. "Yeah, I also believed that Dagur couldn't change from being a deranged blood thirsty monster, but I was wrong."

"Hey, I'm deranged and bloodthirsty, but not a monster!"

"I apologize for that. Look, try to understand before we showed up the Berserkers weren't the most humane tribe. The Deranged One would terrorize the populace and occasionally slice someone's head open, but he hasn't done that in awhile! He's actually become more, what is the word I'm looking for? Oh, compassionate!"

_**"Now your just trying to make fun of us right Hiccup? Compassionate and Berserker don't go together."**_

_** "Fishlegs is right; whatever he's done to convince you he's changed is nothing more than an act. He's a dangerous, crazed, obsessed Berserker. Oh, I'm sure that he pretended to enjoy activities with you. Maybe he drew artwork with you or actually listened to your advice, but it was a lie."**_

_** "Blah blah blah no more talking! Let's take him out now!" **_ Without hesitation Snotlout let loose a spinning column of fire at the trio. Hiccup yanked Dagur to the ground as Nissa covered them both with her body. The fire spin collided with the hot boiling water attack of the Scaldrun. Snotlout didn't have time to utter an uh oh when the Scauldrun came after him, barreling him over as they fought one another tooth and nail. The Twins rushed over sparking and gassing to help their friend.

Astrid, Fishlegs and Toothless went after Dagur only to have Hiccup intercept them. He jumped onto Toothless back hooking into his saddle. Feeling his rider once more on his back Toothless relaxed a bit. That's when he felt his rider trying to control him so he would be a shield between their friends and the teen chief. Toothless tried to resist, but Hiccup was using the power of his necklace, showing him his memories. "Please bud, you have to trust me on this. See what I'm trying to tell you," he whispered stroking the Nightfury's neck.

_"Hiccup, I want to trust you I do. It's just that you've been gone so long and..." _ Toothless started to say only for the memories to hit him full force. He saw and felt his riders emotions. There was plenty of anger and fear, but there was something else. He could sense genuine friendship forming as he watched Hiccup advised Dagur on how to plan a romantic date or draw a flower.

_**"What's wrong with Toothless? Why is he just hovering in mid air?" **_Fishlegs questioned. He could feel the strain on his body. The magic merge was about to fall apart. If they wanted to finish Dagur they had to hurry.

Astrid, sensing her time was nearly up, lined up a shot before zooming towards the teen chief. Dagur was in the middle of fighting against Stoick and Thornado while Nissa kept busy trying to prevent her aunt from killing the teen. Her necklace was flashing and the outlines of several colored auras could be seen flashing. Ignoring the colors Astrid raked her talons forward intent on crushing Dagur only to have Toothless tackle her in the side. The hybrid girl tumbled to the ground in a sapphire flash reverting back to two separate forms. As Astrid struggled to push herself up off the ground she looked at Hiccup in confusion. "Why would you do that?"

"I told you Astrid. Things have changed. Let me prove it to you," he said holding out his hand. Hesitating a bit she took it getting on Toothless. He ordered Toothless up into the air as they watched a series of events unfold.

Dagur swung his sword deflecting Stoick's battle axe. He brought out his other one using the flat of it to take a swipe at Thornado only for his balance to come undone. He stumbled to the ground, helmet knocked off and out of breath. The Berkian chief placed a foot on his chest as the shadow of the adult Daypeace loomed over him. An exhausted Nissa was pinned under he aunt's back right foot unable to help. Noticing her color Dagur said to Rayna, "You might want to let your niece go before she suffocates."

_"Be quiet! You don't deserve any last words. I'll make your death as agonizing as possible. You'll never has a chance to use our secrets to harm us. Stoick, if you'll do the honors?"_

"Gladly, time to correct Oswald's mistake." Stoick raised his battle axe high ready to bring it down when the screeching of a dragon caused him to turn around. The Scauldrun was running over, jaws wide open, claws at the ready. In his state of mind Stoick simply reacted ready to bring down the axe on the Scauldrun. Someone shouted "NOOOOOOO!" Stoick found his feet swept out from under him. There was a loud hiss and snap coming from Rayna as she tried to use her tail blade only to miss the teen chief as he stood protectively in front of the Scauldrun. With great effort Nissa wiggled free crawling over to Dagur side as Hiccup landed next to him before dismounting Toothless to stand next to him.

"This fight is over now! As you can see without any hesitation or coercion Dagur risked his life to protect a dragon. A dragon, I might add that had every reason to hate him, but chose to come to his aid. An inner transformation has taken place. Let us show you please," Nissa pleaded. Her words finally seemed to get through to everyone. They seemed to calm down and be willing to listen. There was a fluttering of wings as Orli and Gobber entered the ring. The blacksmith seemed confused by the lack of fighting as he slid off the female's back, but didn't attack. Orli sauntered over to her mate giving him a kiss before settling down waiting for an explanation.

"Thank you," Hiccup whispered before turning to the Scauldrun. Hiccup held out his hand letting the sea dragon nudge it. He scratched the sweet spot under the chin earning a purr from the beast. Carefully he guided Dagur's hand until it was on the Scauldrun's nose. Letting his own hand slide down he waited with bated breath to see what would happen.

The two just stood there staring at one another for what seemed like forever, only in reality it was just five minutes. Dagur patted the dragon on the head careful to avoid the spot with the missing horn. He whispered apologizes for his men taking that off. He fished something out of his pocket, a single blue oleander he'd been holding onto. He gave it to the dragon who gingerly took it from his hand so not to inject his venom. Encouraged Dagur moved over to check on the wings that been damaged the night before. The laceration from the battle axe was healing well already starting to scab over. Again, apologizing for what he done he promised to get the dragon some salve for his wings. The beast nuzzled his head against the chief's body earning a nice laugh from Dagur.

The Berkians were shocked by this. Dagur, who previously wanted to spill buckets of dragon blood, was actually being nice to a dragon. What was also different was his demeanor. He seemed a lot calmer and dare say happier. He wasn't acting deranged at all actually smiling at Nissa when she placed a hand on his shoulder. Taking his hands off the dragon he remove a small chain from around his neck. On it was an old key that he inserted into her armband unlocking it. The galena armband fell to the floor in a clatter. He kicked the offending item far away from her noticing the obvious change in her.

"Thank you Dagur. Let me show you my other form." For the first time in a fortnight Nissa manifest her dragon form. The Berserker chief watched in awe as her wings sprouted from her back. Pink scales covered her as her marking turned into her horns. She settled down on all four smiling. Reaching out with her fully restored Dragon Heart she connected with Dagur forming a tentative bond with him. _"What do you think of my other form?"_

"Your so beautiful even as a dragon. I really like your wings and tail. Your coloration reminds me of the sunset. Is that on purpose?"

She nodded her head. She then looked the Scauldrun in the eye before addressing him. _"Why did you decide to trust Dagur? Didn't he hurt you badly in the past? Your missing your horn and patches of scales because of him correct?"_

_ "True, this human is responsible for my injuries and keeping me a prisoner here. I was ready to kill him once I had my freedom. That changed last night. When I awoke from my induced sleep he was there. He'd brought me a basketful of blue oleander. He was apologetic and left himself completely open for attack. He spent a good hour just sitting there watching me waiting for me to trust him enough to treat my wounds. If he can change that much in a single night then I don't see a reason I shouldn't trust him enough now. I want to be his friend."_

The confession startled everyone assembled. They couldn't quite fathom that Dagur would have the patience to earn the respect and trust of a dragon. Of course he had no idea what was being said so Hiccup translated for him. He seemed pleased that the Scauldrun was willing to give him a chance. Still he frowned, "How am I suppose to be his friend? I don't really know how to be someone's friend. It took me forever to be your friend and I still messed up. If I can't even understand him then how do I make sure that I don't mess this up?"

Hiccup laughed running his hands through his hair. He gave the teen a lopsided grin before speaking. "Dagur, friendships take time to build. You learn how to be a good friend when someone shows you how to be. You became our friend by listening and being patient. You just have to do the same thing with him. You'll learn from one another how to be good friends. I promise to continue to be your friend and help you when you need it."

_"As will I Dagur. So what are you going to name him?" _ Nissa asked. Dagur looked at her puzzled. Didn't he already have a name? _"Dragon names are nearly impossible to speak in human tongue. That's why many of them accept human names or their dragon names are translated into human. His dragon name is to difficult to say and doesn't translate. So you get to give him a new name."_

Dagur paused deep in thought. Suddenly he snapped his fingers grinning happily. "How about Oswald? I think my father would like that. I think I've finally done something he would approve of. Oh, speaking of doing things he approved of; I release you Hiccup from your oath of loyalty. Your free to return to Berk. I do the same for you Nissa. Stoick, I know I messed up big time. I promise if you give me a chance I'll make it up to you. Right now lets stop this war before anyone gets hurt. Agreed?"

"We'll work something out later Dagur, but I agree. Let's go put an end to this war." Everyone mounted their dragons and they took off back to the compound. The fighting had intensified and it appeared that neither side was giving an inch. Both Rayna and Nissa called out to the other Daypeaces. With the galena finally disposed off they used their orange barrier flames to separate the groups creating a ceasefire as Dagur on the back of Oswald ordered his tribe to stand down. It was time for diplomacy not more bloodshed.

Everyone looked to their leaders in confusion wondering what was going on. The Berserkers were amazed that Dagur was riding a Scauldrun without any difficulty. Elder Inga had a small smile on her face. Chanting a spell she simply walked through the barrier over to her leaders side. She didn't bat an eye as the pink dragon next to Dagur reverted into Nissa. There was a different air around her leader. Sure he was still deranged and full of Berserker rage, but he seemed calmer, relaxed, and dare she say a little apprehensive.

"My chief, I must say there is something different about you. Have you finally discovered what it truly means to be a leader?"

Dagur nodded, striding forward until he standing on top of the altar so everyone could see him. Clearing his throat he started to address the Berserkers, who had stopped trying to break down the barriers. "My fellow Berserkers; you should be proud of the way you fought today. We defended our home with all the might of our tribe. I'm proud of each and every one of you. What I take as my greatest pride is that we didn't lose any tribemates today. That is why I need to apologize for bringing this war to our shores today."

The Berserkers gasped in shock. Several pinched themselves to make sure they were awake. The older generation shouted that this wasn't his fault. That they were Berserkers and this is what it meant to fight. The teen chief raised a single fist into the air quieting the group. Once he had their attention he continued. "As much as we enjoy bloodshed and war this one could have been avoided if I hadn't given into my obsession and kidnapped Hiccup and Princess Nissa. As much as I wanted them for their abilities and strength, I had a more selfish reason for wanting them. I...I..."

Hiccup, seeing his distress put a comforting hand on his should squeezing it gently. He gave the teen an encouraging smile. "Your not alone Dagur. We're here to help you through this right Nissa?"

She nodded placing her hand on his shoulder squeezing it. "Friends help one another out. You can do this just take a deep breath and relax."

"Thanks you two. As I was saying, I kidnapped these two because I was lonely. I wanted friends, but I didn't know how to make any. I'm your chief. I know you respect and fear me, that you are the most loyal tribemates I could ask for. The problem is that I've become so feared because of my deranged tendencies that no one was willing to be my friend. When I kidnapped these two I thought I could force them to be my friends."

Nissa decided to take over from there giving Dagur a break. Reaching out with her Dragon Heart she connected with the two tribes spirits sharing her emotions with them. "One can't force a friendship; its something that happens naturally. I'm sure you all witnessed the effect I have on people. Right now I'm using my Dragon Heart to connect with you to share my experiences and emotions. I couldn't do that with the galena armband. I became Dagur's friend the old fashion way through time and talking. I'm rather pleased that I've managed to change Dagur a bit for the better."

"Just as I'm glad to have learned to be a better fighter thanks to his training. Friendships are a two way street with both parties contributing to one another. I know how angry my tribemates are, but if we keep fighting it will never end. I was forced to swear loyalty to protect you, but Dagur released myself and Nissa from our vows. There is no reason to continue fighting."

Protests from both groups filled the air only to be silenced by firespins from the dragons mouths. The tribes quieted down as the Daypeaces removed the barriers. Dagur jumped off the altar walking purposely to Stoick. Withdrawing a knife he handed it over, handle first before kneeling. If Stoick wanted to take his vengeance he could easily kill the teenager. Stoick was still for a few minutes as he thought over what to do. He looked over at Rayna, still in dragon form. They had a silent conversation for a few minutes. At last Rayna reverted to human form and Stoick pulled the teen to his feet handing the knife back to him. "The return of our children is enough for now, but you will be making amends to our tribes for your stunt."

Dagur nodded his head furiously thankful to still have his head. He promised to give them everything Mildew had sent him as well as the false notes he sent to the other tribes. He also agree to build the Berkians new ships to replace the ones they lost. Hiccup suggested they draw up a new treaty to redefine their alliance which Nissa agreed would be a great idea. She would help them write it putting to use of her princess skills to make sure that there were no more altercations between the tribes.

Finally hours later, just as the moon and stars were coming out, it was time for the Berkians to return home. The treaty had been rewritten and signed by all parties. The injured had been seen to while a few boats from the armada were given freely to the tribe. Dagur had kept his word handing over all his stolen knowledge. He was there on the dock with Oswald, watching as the group prepared to leave via air/sea. He had a sad expression on his face as he fidgeted a bit. Hiccup, was just finishing double checking Toothless gear when he felt a tugging sensation in his heart. Glancing over at Dagur's face, he patted his dragon on the head walking over to the teen chief. "Is everything okay Dagur? You don't look like your deranged self."

"Its nothing Hiccup I'm fine really." Hiccup arched one eyebrow folding his arms and leaned back a bit. It was clear that he didn't believe him. Neither did Nissa who came over with her hands on her hip wanting him to be honest. "Okay, I admit it. I'm sad to see you guys go. Its going to be a long time until the next treaty signing. I won't see you both for a while."

"We could always send messages back and forth to keep in touch. Arrange visits to one another islands. Aunt Rayna says I get to stay to complete my mission because of the success I had with you. We'll see each other again don't worry."

"What if I mess up again? I'm already on thin ice with Oswald here. Elder Inga has promise to help me try becoming friendlier with the tribe, but I'm not sure how much that will help. I want to prove that I've changed..." he was interrupted when Nissa pressed her finger to his lips. She started to hum a joyful tune. Everyone had stopped what they were doing as she connected to Dagur through their new bond. She was going to reassure him with a song titled, "Anytime You Need A Friend."

_"Na na, non na na na_

_ "When you're sad, _

_ When you're feeling low _

_ When you're hurt and don't know where to go. _

_ Think of me- _

_ There I'll be, _

_ Anytime you need a friend. _

_ When you're down, _

_ And your luck runs out, _

_ Or if you're in trouble or in doubt, _

_ It's OK- _

_ Turn my way, _

_ Anytime you need a friend. _

_ When you're scared, _

_ I will stay with you, _

_ When you feel you're falling, _

_ I'll lift you. _

_ When you're heart breaks, _

_ I'll ease your aches, _

_ Whatever it takes, I'm in- _

_ Anytime you need a friend. "_

Hiccup decided to join in with her to sing the second half of the song somehow knowing the lyrics. Probably because Nissa fed them to him.

_ "All our lives, _

_Anywhere we are, _

_Just reach out-I'll never be too far. _

_Come what may _

_There I'll stay _

_Anytime you need a friend. _

_When you're scared, _

_I will stay with you, _

_When you feel you're falling, _

_I'll lift you. _

_When you're heart breaks, _

_I'll ease your aches, _

_Whatever it takes, I'm in- _

_Anytime you need a friend. _

_When you need a friend, _

_Come what may, _

_There I'll stay, _

_Now until the very end,_

_ Anytime you need a friend. _

_Anytime,Whatever it takes, _

_Anytime, Anywhere, _

_Anytime you need a friend. "_

The three friends clasped each others hands hugging one another. It may have been the strangest bonding experience, but the bonds of friendship they formed were real. Manifesting her dragon form Nissa gave Dagur a tiny headbutt before pushing herself into the sky. The other riders followed suit yipping in delight. They were joined by the remaining dragons who flew protectively over the ships as they departed. Dagur waved his hand good-bye until they were out of sight. Getting nudged in the back by Oswald he gave his trademark laugh as he climbed onto his neck. "Come on Oswald, we have a lot to do until their next visit. Let's go!" They both flew back to the compound enjoying one another company.

_obsessions with Vikings can lead to a mess of trouble. You never know how it will turn out. I never suspected that someone like Dagur could change enough to be a better person. Still it just goes to show you that no one ever knows what will happen next. _


End file.
